Tippmann Boss

[whinewine]

I am in negotiations to purchase a new (but out of warranty) Tippmann Boss sewing machine. While searching the Internet last night, I came across 2 dealers who no longer carry, recommend or endorse the Tippmann Boss, and they make it very well known.

I have sent out emails to both dealers asking what the problems are: 1 has ignored my request and the other merely said 'thank you'...

Does anyone have any idea if there are any inherent problems with the Boss, or is it primarily a dealer vs factory= not-enough-$$$-for-the-dealer problem?

Since I will be spending a sizable chunk of money on this machine, I really would like to know all the pertinent facts, both positives AND negatives.

Thank you all for any truthful & honest information you can provide.

[Johanna]

When I was a Tandy manager in the 90s we carried them in the stores. They were difficult to set up and tweak, and customer service after the sale was nonexistent. I will say that by the time it is threaded and set for a particular project, you could have sewn half the project by hand. I have seen the Boss do some heavy duty work, but I have also know that in addition to the threading and leather feeding issues, operating the machines is tedious. It is a sizable investment, so my advice to you would be to "test drive" one from the person (dealer) you plan to buy it from, and ask for references from his past customers to make sure it will fit in with your plans for use, and that they received after-sale help. I'm not disparaging the machine, for it has some advantages depending on the intended use, but I think you are wise to consider the purchase carefully. By doing your research, you will be able to determine beforehand if that machine will suit your needs. Welcome to Leatherworker.net!

Johanna

[Tom Katzke]

I am in negotiations to purchase a new (but out of warranty) Tippmann Boss sewing machine. While searching the Internet last night, I came across 2 dealers who no longer carry, recommend or endorse the Tippmann Boss, and they make it very well known.

I have sent out emails to both dealers asking what the problems are: 1 has ignored my request and the other merely said 'thank you'...

Does anyone have any idea if there are any inherent problems with the Boss, or is it primarily a dealer vs factory= not-enough-$$$-for-the-dealer problem?

Since I will be spending a sizable chunk of money on this machine, I really would like to know all the pertinent facts, both positives AND negatives.

Thank you all for any truthful & honest information you can provide.

Hope Bruce answers this. I know he about wore one out using it. As far as I know he is happy with it.

You say a sizable chunk of money. I hope you will not pay more then you can get one on sale from a dealer with the warranty. One advantage may be if it is old enough to be the cast iron frame. I recall the old ones were cast iron and the new ones are alloy or aluminum.

Tom Katzke

Central Oregon

[bruce johnson]

Tom is not quite right. I used the heck out of one, but it was no where close to worn out when I sold it. It will sew anything you can cram under the foot. It will do three layers of skirting all day. It will do a checkbook cover and then a back cinch with little or no tension change. There are few parts to wear out. It was my first machine, and I did have one of the old cast iron models. There is no timing to get out of whack and it is easy to maintain. I found once I got the tension right, the tweaking was easy and it sewed a pretty good stitch. It took about a an hour or so of fiddling to get the bobbin tension right. I never adjusted it after that - only the top tension. The parts I did break were upgraded to heavier duty parts in later models, and never charged for. As far as setup, it was no different than the three powered machines I have got since then. Learning on the Boss made it easier for me to use the motored machines later. The threading pattern is pretty similar to my bigger machines too. My son used it, both wives, I found it pretty forgiving.

The down side - you power it, and it is boring and tedious for production type work. The plus side - you power it. You have control of every stitch. You can't run off the end unless you fall asleep. It does have a 9" or so throat, so not a huge reach for centered inlays on big projects. Mine was ultimately replaced by a Ferdco Pro 2000. I had a 440 before that, and still have a heavy duty Adler. When I got the Pro 2000, I put the Boss in a storage room for two months. Only to prove to myself I would not regret selling the Boss, since it paid for itself long before. There is now another machine out that is powered for under $2000 (Artisan 3000), has been out for about a year and a half. The Boss proved to be the workhorse for me and I would not hesitate to recommend it.

Bruce Johnson

[whinewine]

For $1300, I can get a new (but out of warranty) machine with standard package (with all that comes in the standard package) + video + 2 extra bobbins (4 total) + the centerfoot presser attachment + a cobbler's bench with mounting platform (looks like a stitching horse but has a mounting platform for the boss).

For me, it is a substantial chunk of $$$: I retired last year and decided to get back into leatherwork after 35+- years. I'm teaching my son to carve. We've done a Celtic wine & music festival and a first year Renfaire (that went bust) this year & I've put out a pretty large outlay into leather & supplies & plan to spend the winter making stuff.

[bruce johnson]

The $1300 price for new, but out of warranty is probably a bit high. New ones sell for $1450 from a lot of dealers, without the stand. Heard that TLF has discounted to $1200 or so on special sale right now. Will get to the stand in a moment. The extra bobbins are nice(they cost about 4-5 dollars from most industrial machine suppliers) and I had 8 or 10. That way I had several wound for different color and sized threads. Personally I never liked the center presser foot. I sewed better with the regular double toe foot or right or left toe foot as needed around spots or raised edges.

The bench for me is too high. You are reaching up to pull the handle (fatiguing on your shoulder), and the strap or piece is in your chin, not your lap. I used a basic bench tool stand from Harbor Freight, cost about $20. Had a 1" particle board top on it that you would mount a bench grinder or table top jig saw, etc on. I sat on a low bar or counter stool. My reach was level across to the handle, and I could sew longer and faster, and was looking down on my sew line - not across it like the cobbler's bench.

One thing about the boss too. The factory will rebuild them for a very reasonable price. On mine they quoted something like an exchange for $100 or rebuild with new presser bar, cable, and handle assembly for $125 or something like that. They will then warranty it just like a new machine. Mine was sewing fine, so they recommended selling it as is. If it ever needed rebuilding, then the new owner could have it rebuilt or exchanged, just like the original owner for the same price and warranty.

Bruce Johnson

[whinewine]

The $1300 is for the Boss & bench, he wants $1000 for the Boss alone [which is $200 less than Tandy's price]

Edited October 31, 2006 by whinewine

[Tom Katzke]

The $1300 is for the Boss & bench, he wants $1000 for the Boss alone [which is $200 less than Tandy's price]

Yes that is a chunk of $. I do not know much about machines so can not comment on if it is a deal or not. The reason for my question was 'sizable chunk' is a subjective term. Wanted to make sure you were getting the best advice.

Do you get the Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal? I have heard there are some nice power machines at some unbelievable prices now days. If you are in an area with some dealers you could go and look. It all depends on what you are sewing the most.

With you being retired it may be a good excuse for an over night road trip.

Tom Katzke

Central Oregon

[Billsotx]

I've been using my Boss about 2 yrs. I ditto everything Bruce said. I like the fact that it's manual drive as I have complete control and I don't worry about sewing myself unintentionally when I'm working on real tight close curves. Unlike Bruce I only use the center foot. I could not get in close with the standard foot even after I shaved the sides and tried to modify it. I found their customer service excellent. I bought a rebuilt machince and as my luck would have it I got a lemon right out of the chute. Twenty minutes on the phone and I was told we're sending the brown truck by to pick it up and another one is being shipping out as we speak. Two days later I was in business. Like the above threads mention, it takes some tweaking. I won't go into that. If you get it let us know if you have problems. Don't be shy about calling Tippman if you have problems and if you call them for help be right there at the machine as they will talk you through any problems. I did not have any problems or make any calls on the replacement they sent; just followed the instructions. I did not get the stand. I mounted mine on a 3/4 piece of birch ply that I had laying around and I sometimes pack it off to other places to sew. I'm not sure what you'll wear out, but like Bruce mentioned, a hundred bucks gets you a complete rebuild. Good luck with whatever you pick. Regards ~Bill

[whinewine]

Years ago, I got a used manual machine. I don't remember WHAT it was, or WHO made it. It looked like a huge Singer (my grandmother had a treadle Singer that looked like it, but was much, much smaller). It had no instructions & no manual. Bottom line is that I had nothing but problems with it (broken needles, skipped stitches, ... who knows what else- I don't remember, it was so long ago)- got rid of it in a heartbeat.

I hate handsewing (if I'm busy) & I don't trust an electric machine. I need to have full, conscious control & I'd rather learn on a fully manual machine that works well & HAS A MANUAL or VIDEO to guide me along. That means a lot.