Brother SE700 Review: Is This $530 Sewing and Embroidery Machine Worth It?

Brother SE700 specs

Specs above come from Brother USA's SE700 product page and specifications, Brother's warranty statement and the manufacturer bullets on the Amazon listing.

What does the Brother SE700 do best?

The SE700 makes small, personal embroidery easy and cheap to try. An embroidery field is the largest area a machine can stitch in one hooping, and 4 x 4 inches covers names on towels and bibs, left-chest logos, patches, coasters and freestanding lace ornaments. Our 4 x 4 inch hoop guide lists what fits.

Wireless transfer is the convenience most budget combos lack. Brother lists wireless LAN for sending designs from a computer with its free transfer software, and the Artspira app lets you draw or pick designs on a phone and send them to the machine. A USB port is still there if your network is awkward.

Take the embroidery unit off and it is a full computerized sewing machine: 103 stitches, 10 buttonhole styles, an automatic needle threader, a drop-in bobbin and 8 feet including zipper, blind stitch and monogramming feet. For a beginner, one machine that covers garments, mending and small embroidery is a real saving in money and table space.

What is the honest weakness of the Brother SE700?

The 4 x 4 inch field is the ceiling, and most people who love embroidery hit it. A bath towel border, a child's sweatshirt front or a 6 inch quilt block motif does not fit. You can split a design and rehoop, but lining up the halves takes software and practice. The upgrade path is a new machine, such as the 5 x 7 inch SE2000.

Two smaller points. The screen Brother lists is a 3.2 x 1.8 inch LCD, which is small for editing lettering, so readers who wear reading glasses may prefer to arrange designs on a phone or computer first. And a combo cannot sew while it embroiders, so a 20 minute design ties up your only machine. Brother publishes no separate embroidery speed on the SE700 page, only the 710 SPM sewing speed.

What do Brother SE700 owners consistently report?

• Praise: easy to learn for first-time embroiderers, with on-screen positioning and preview.
• Praise: strong value for a machine that both sews and embroiders.
• Praise: wireless and app transfer save trips with a USB stick once set up.
• Complaint: outgrowing the 4 x 4 inch field is the most common regret.
• Complaint: some owners describe wireless setup as fiddly on certain networks and devices.
• Complaint: a minority report tension or bobbin adjustments needed out of the box.

These are recurring themes across retail owner reviews rather than measured failure rates.

What warranty and support come with the Brother SE700?

Brother lists a 1/2/25 year limited warranty on the SE700 page. Brother's warranty statement for sewing and embroidery machines sets a short period for the machine, a longer one for printed circuit boards and 25 years on the chassis. Our copy of that statement lists 5 years on circuit boards, which differs from the product page, so check the statement on your model's support page. Labor is charged for circuit board replacement.

The fine print matters. Coverage applies only to the original purchaser from an authorized Brother reseller in the United States; used and floor models are excluded unless factory refurbished by Brother. Needles, feet, bobbins and embroidery frames are consumables, and wear items including the bobbin case, needle plate, main motor, belts and needle threader are excluded. Brother's support page has manuals, FAQs and the warranty statement. We found no recall for the SE700 in CPSC's sewing machine listings or on Brother's recall page.

How does the Brother SE700 compare with the SE2000 and PE545?

The two decisions buyers weigh are "bigger field?" and "do I need it to sew?". Our Brother SE700 vs SE2000 comparison covers the field question, and embroidery-only vs combo covers the second.

Read the Brother SE2000 review and the Brother PE545 review for the sibling cases, or the SE600 vs SE700 comparison if you have spotted the older model. Check a specific design with the embroidery hoop size calculator.

What else should you budget for with the Brother SE700?

Plan on $80 to $150 in supplies before your first project looks professional:

• Stabilizer: tear-away for towels and wovens, cut-away for knits and sweatshirts, and wash-away topping on terry cloth.
• Thread and bobbins: a 40 wt polyester set such as the New brothread 63-Color Kit and prewound bobbins.
• Needles: Schmetz Embroidery Needles needles, changed often.
• Hoops: a magnetic 4 x 4 hoop set speeds hooping thick items, which helps hands with arthritis.
• Blanks and tools: flour sack towels for practice and curved embroidery scissors for trimming jump threads.

Digitizing software is optional at first; the built-in designs, Artspira and purchased PES files cover most beginners. Our beginner machine embroidery setup prices the full kit.