If you’re looking for an embroidery-only machine, not one that comes as part of a combination of sewing and embroidery, then this Brother PE770 review is worth a look.
What is the Brother PE770?
A dedicated embroidery-only machine, the PE770 is a beginner-friendly model with a large 5”x7” embroidery area and built-in memory. A USB port for loading your own designs if the 136 built-in patterns and 6 lettering fonts aren’t enough.
Click to see it now and read customer reviews on Amazon.
You might also like to read about the best embroidery machines: reviews and buying advice.
A few words about Brother
Unless you’re new to the sewing and embroidery world, you’ll already know that Brother has an excellent reputation for making well-priced, durable, versatile sewing and embroidery machines for home use.
Review of Brother PE770
What’s in the box?
- PE770 Computerized Embroidery Machine
- One 5″x7″ embroidery hoop
- Embroidery arm
- Dust cover
- Accessory bag with seam ripper, needle set, cleaning brush, screwdrivers (2), spool caps (3), scissors, bobbins (3)
- Power cord
- English/Spanish operation manual
Quick-Look Brother PE770 specs
- Weight: 26.6 lbs
- Dimensions: 21.2 x 16.9 x 17.3 inches
- Stitches: 184 decorative stitches, 136 embroidery designs, 10 buttonholes, and 6 embroidery letter fonts.
- Speed: 650 stiches per minute
- Computerized/Mechanical: Computerized
- Bobbin: Drop & Sew Bobbin System – automatic bobbin thread pick up for quicker threading
- Warranty: 25-year limited warranty
Key features of Brother PE770
- Large 5”x7” embroidery area gives you a lot of versatility with your designs. You can happily work on jacket backs, quilt squares and other projects with large designs. The size is good for the price point.
- Backlit Black & White LCD display, whilst we’d prefer it to be a bit bigger, the touchscreen display is responsive and allows you to edit your design before you start stitching – mirror-image, resizing and previewing are all possible.
- With 184 decorative sewing stitches, 136 built-in designs, 6 monogramming fonts, 10 frame shapes and 12 border styles you’ll have plenty of patterns to experiment with before needing to add more. And when you do, it’s fully iBroidery compatible, so you can buy loads of exclusive designs.
- The handy USB slot and built-in memory allow you to load any number of designs, using the screen to edit the size. There is also a card slot allowing you to use a Brother memory card containing unique designs (USB & memory card not included)
- The automatic needle threader makes this finicky task easy, and with a drop-in, quick-set bobbin, you can pull the thread through and get embroidering in no time! The automatic thread-trimmer means you just touch the button and the upper and lower threads are trimmed for you.
- 650 stitches per minute means it’s quick so you won’t be waiting around to change colors. The variable speed control is handy when you are just starting out as slowing everything down helps prevent mistakes.
Important Details & Quick Tips: Getting the Best out of Brother PE770
Ease of use
Remember that this is a dedicated embroidery machine. If you are wanting to do any sewing, you’ll need a separate machine. So it’s not super-versatile.
If you are completely new to machine embroidery and particularly using an embroidery machine, there may be a bit of a learning curve as you master the techniques of hooping, using stabilizers, threading, knowing which threads to use for what stitches.
There’s a lot more to embroidery than just mastering the machine. If, however, you’re already familiar with hand-embroidery, then this machine should be pretty straightforward right out of the box.
You’ll need to have some patience and spend time practicing with different threads, different fabrics, stabilizers, and needles.
Read the instruction manual and the ‘quick start’ guide and then hop on Youtube for additional tutorials if you get stuck.
A note about Bobbins
Whilst the Brother PE770 has a ‘quick-set’ bobbin, it’s really advisable to buy pre-wound bobbins unless you’ve got a lot of patience with thread breakages. Broken off bobbin thread can be a real pain to get out of the machine.
Hoops and sizes
The machine ships with a 5”x7” embroidery hoop, and it’s best to get a couple of extra hoops so that you can switch between different projects without having to re-hoop the fabric. it’s pretty versatile with sizing, you can use 4”x4” hoops, oval-shaped or 5”x12”. Just remember that the hoop mustn’t be more than 5” across (width). Note that you can still use the 4×4 designs in a 5×7 hoop.
Additions and extras:
- Good quality embroidery thread, such as polystar brand and a thread rack
- Pre-wound bobbins
- Stabilizers: unless you’re very experienced, you’ll need to practice using different stabilizers
- Sharp embroidery scissors
What we like
- Easy to use, but versatile enough for custom designs on lots of different fabrics.
- LED lights in the working area are great if you’re working in dimly-lit rooms – allows you to see the detail as the design is stitched
- Easy to thread, and the automatic thread trimmer saves lots of time
- Clear-view bobbin cover allows you to see when you are running low on thread
- Plenty of built-in patterns to get you started with consistent, good-quality stitching, and iBroidery compatible for an unlimited choice of designs!
What we don’t like
- Screen is small, black & white, and a bit hard to read
- Processor can’t handle USB with more than 2GB – don’t expect it to sift through a lot of data
- A hefty machine, so if you’ve got to move it from room to room, you’ll need to be strong! Definitely durable and heavy-duty.
Should you buy the PE770?
Great for beginners and existing seamstresses wanting to expand their skills and produce professional quality embroidery. If you want a good range of design choice, a fairly large embroidery field, and a brand that is renowned for top-notch build quality, you can’t go wrong with the Brother PE770.
Other models might suit you if
- You are an experienced seamstress and need a machine for your home business, or a larger embroidery field
- You need a combination sewing and embroidery machine
PE770 not for you? Here are some alternatives
Although it’s a great machine, it may not be the right one for you. If not, here are some alternatives you might want to consider:
If you want a combination machine you might like to check out the latest from Brother – the SE600
You might want a different brand, in which case try the Singer XL Futura (see our review) or see it on Amazon.
Wrapping up Brother PE770 Review
At this price point, it’s a great balance between features and cost. See more reviews on Amazon and today’s price. We’re big fans of the Brother brand, and don’t hesitate to recommend this particular model. We’re not alone, either, this model was an awardee of the Consumer’s Digest Best Buy Brand, which speaks volumes about its performance.
Over to you, please send us your questions, comments, critiques in the comments section below, and let us know your experience with the Brother PE770.
