Not too sure what you mean by 'tightened', but on a cheap box, you can pretty much count on a leak here and there. You can tend to those using Sobo glue to seal those leaks on the bellows, replace the gasket between the bellows and frame. But keep in mind, cheaper reeds need more air to sound. Even resolving any leak problems, the reeds themselves will make you work a little harder.
Steve
You can tell if the bellowsw leak by pushing them without pressing a key down. If the bellow close easy, you probably have an air leak. You do not need to push very hard.
The loudness should be about the same on push or pull.