Brother SE 400 Review

Brother SE 400 – Sewing and Embroidery Machine 


Honestly what can I say about this machine that doesn’t make it sound AWESOME! It sews it embroiders it basically makes the projects for you….ok I’m exaggerating on that last part. When I saw this machine I told my husband I NEEDED IT…not I wanted it NEEDED IT! 
I heard a few bad reviews about it saying the tension was not good for sewing and that it was complicated to operate. I have had no problems with the tension so far and I have had my machine for 5 months and have used it at least once a week since then. The Brother SE 400 is a complex machine. It does a ton of stuff but if you watch the How To DVD and or read the booklets that come with the machine then I found it pretty easy to use….but I use computers every day. The machine pretty much tells you on the screen if there is something wrong and tells you want you can do to make it right. I found it pretty intuitive and simple to use after watching the DVD. Also remember your learning how to operate a new machine….of course it will take a little time. 


Things I LOVE about his machine!

• Automatic Threading
• OMG this is the greatest thing EVER….I just thread the machines just as any other but at the end you press a lever and BAMB your needle is threaded!
• Auto Warnings
• The machine will actually tell you when your bobbin is low so you can stop sewing and re-thread the bobbin. 
• Embroidery!
• Changing from sewing to embroidery takes me less than 5 minutes! 
• The Machine comes with 5 different fonts that you can control by thread density, size, rotation, thread color, and I’m sure there is more. 
• The machine also comes with 70 embroidery patters….I don’t really care for most of them but the cool thing about it is that you can buy extra pattern cards for more variety. The coolest part which I have not yet bought is the embroidery software where you can make your own embroidery patterns. I looked it up and it cost around $200. I think it would be worth it if you were really planning on using custom patterns. There is also a USB port where you can hook up a computer and find free patterns or buy patterns online. 

Things I wish were different:

• When you change from sewing to embroidery you have to change the foot you use. Changing the foot is super easy but tightening it is a bit difficult. I have small hands and it is hard for me to use the tools supplied to tighten the screw that holds the foot. 
• The hoop size that comes with the machine is not that large so if you want a larger one you have to buy it. 
• I’ll try to think of something else I don’t like….but honestly it is really an overall great machine. 

COST!


This machine costs $365 and can be found on Walmart.com or Amazon.com. YES this machine does cost a good amount but if you’re interested in embroidery and are not using this machine for professional use it is a great investment. Professional embroidery machines start at around $1,000.00 and they don’t sew. For me as an intermediate sewer the Brother SE 400 was a great investment and so far I have loved using its cool features and making unique embroidered gifts!