Tippmann is a company that makes industrial grade products that can be used by the average consumer. And the Tippmann Boss is an engineering marvel to say the least. It is a small and truly unconventional sewing machine that is primarily used for sewing thick fabrics like leather. Because genuine leather is an extremely thicker and stronger fabric than a fabric made of cotton. It requires a stronger needle with a strong needle and a strong thread. The Tippmann Boss offers all of that but the leather sewing machine doesn’t come without its problems and today we’ll be looking at what those are.
Table of Contents
1. The Tippmann Boss Is Ridiculously Expensive
Even if this sewing machine can sew leather and other heavier/ tougher fabrics. The Tippmann Boss is just too expensive and the problem is that it is just too simple a machine to pay as much as the Tippmann Boss costs. And if you want to add any accessories (that do not come with the Tippmann Boss) you can expect to be set back a couple of bucks more than you would like. For a sewing machine that can only sew fabrics that are heavy like leather, the price point mat be too high for some people.
What You Can Do
- There are plenty of sewing machines on the market that can sew all types of fabrics all-in-one and they come at a fraction of the cost of the Tippmann Boss. They are also relatively good.
- You may want to do some research on other sewing machines before settling for the Tippmann Boss.
2. The Tippmann Boss Is Very Slow
The major cause of this problem is that the Tippmann Boss is a hand cranked (or mechanical) sewing machine so it is as fast as you crank it. But because you will most likely be sewing on heavy and tough fabrics, sometimes it is a real challenge sewing on such fabrics especially with a hand cranked sewing machine. Even with a mechanical advantage due to some of the gears located within the sewing machine.
What You Can Do
- Unfortunately this problem on the Tippmann Boss is a reality you may have to bear if you are adamant on still getting this sewing machine.
- With some modern electrical or computerized sewing machines, sewing can be as easy as pushing a button or gently stepping on a foot pedal to activate the sewing machine.
- The Tippmann Boss is not electrically powered and it also doesn’t come with a mechanical foot pedal so it is quite a challenge to operate. So mechanical foot pedals can be a hassle to use but they make it significantly easier to sew with mechanical sewing machines compared to hand cranked sewing machines.
- With all that being said, you may have to compromise on how heavy the types of fabrics you will be sewing or joining together will be. But only if time is an issue for you.
3. The Tippmann Boss May Be Challenging To Use
On top of the above problem (which is similar), the Tippmann Boss can be challenging to use in another way due to its hand-cranked mechanism. The Tippmann Boss does not come with a flat bed and neither does it have a sizable work area so it is a challenge to even sew on. Another problem with the Tippmann Boss is its design (which is very unique) but it may not be as good in practice as it is on paper. The flat bed/ work area (or in this case where it should be) on the Tippmann Boss is reduced to quite a small piece of the sewing machine. This can make sewing very challenging if you are used to more conventional sewing machines. You may also need help to operate the Tippmann Boss because when you are operating it alone (by yourself), it is a problem to both crank the sewing machine and keep the fabric you’re sewing on stable at the same time.
What You Can Do
- As previously mentioned, most accessories that are supposed to come with the Tippmann Boss you have to purchase. A flat bed to extend your work area on the sewing machine will set you back $129.99USD. For a flat bed extension, that’s very problematic.
- Again there are more better sewing machines you can try out there even if you are looking for a mechanical sewing machine.
4. The Tippmann Boss May Miss Some Stitches
As if all of the above problems weren’t enough for the Tippmann Boss, the sewing machine doesn’t [sometimes] do what it is meant to do well. However it may not always be the sewing machine at fault. Like any other sewing machine, the Tippmann Boss is susceptible to issues and problems faced by other sewing machines (like missing a couple of stitches) because although it is unique, the uniqueness mostly comes from its design but it is still [fundamentally] a sewing machine.
What You Can Do
- Check to see that you have the right needle size for the thread you will be using, you will find the right specifications in your Tippmann Boss’s user manual.
- You should also try turning your needle to the left or right just a couple of degrees. You can do this with an allen key that comes with your Tippmann Boss.
- The last thing you can try is to adjust the rack stop (which is located in the lower left hand corner behind the cover.)
Conclusion
Most users scoff at the idea that the Tippmann Boss May have any problems but it does and there’s quite a couple of them (some aren’t even on this list.) This expensive sewing sewing machine comes with a one year warranty which is not very good because if a company is seriously confident in their product they can offer up to 10 years of warranty without a doubt. However it is worth noting that the customer service at Tippmann is top-tier level and for most people, if not all, that’s all that matters.
