Whether you run a small business, or you simply do a lot of embroidery or monogramming, a dedicated embroidery machine can be a great asset. The Brother PE770 is one of the most affordable embroidery machines on the market, while still posessing some of the features you’d expect in a more expensive model.
Brother PE770: an overview
The Brother PE770 is an upgraded version of the very popular (though now discontinued) Brother PE700, and is a computerized embroidery machine. Designed solely for embroidery, this model will appeal to enthusiastic amateurs and small business owners who do a lot of machine embroidery.
Along with 136 built-in embroidery designs and six monogramming fonts, you can import a limitless number of designs through the machine’s USB port. You can embroiderer designs with the touch of a button, and stop the embroidery at any time in case of issues.
The machine is light and portable, weighing less than 17 pounds. It has a fast embroidery speed of 650 stitches per minute, and is well-made and durable.
What we like:
- Computer connectivity: Along with 136 built-in designs and six fonts, you can import further designs through the machines’ USB port.
- User-friendly: The machine is very simple to thread, the embroidery hoop is easy to load, and it comes with several automatic functions.
- One-touch sewing: You can easily select a design on the LCD touch screen and start embroidering with the touch of a button, and pause the stitching at any time.
What we don’t like:
- Problematic bobbin tension: The pre-set bobbin tension is not ideal and will probably need to be adjusted.
The Brother PE770 offers excellent value for money, with a large range of automatic and computerized features for an affordable price tag. It compares favorably with much more expensive embroidery machines, and punches well above its weight for its price range.
While the model has been discontinued, we still wanted to bring you this in-depth Brother PE770 review, as the machine is still available online.
Brother PE770: features & benefits
If you’re looking for a machine for embroidery, the Brother PE770 is packed with features you’ll love, including:
- Over 100 designs: The Brother PE770 comes with 136 built-in embroidery designs and six different lettering designs.
- Computer connectivity: You can import additional designs via the machine’s USB port.
- LCD touch screen: You can easily navigate the PE770’s features, as well as choose and customize designs on the machine’s touch screen.
- Fast stitching speed: The PE770 sews at 650 stitches per minute, letting you embroider designs quickly and efficiently.
- Drop-in bobbin: The top-loading bobbin is easy to load, contributing to the ease of threading.
- Sewing stop button: Allowing you to pause the machine mid-way through any design, as well as automatically stopping if it runs low on thread.
- Automatic needle threader: Allowing you to easily thread the machine’s needle with a simple push of a lever.
- Automatic thread cutter: For quickly and easily trimming threads, allowing you to sew more efficiently.
- On-screen help: The LCD touch screen shows tips and instructions on how to use the machine.
- Two LED lights: To brightly illuminate the work area.
Ease of use
The Brother PE770 is very user-friendly, and even absolute beginners will be able to set up and use this machine. Let’s take a look at some of the stand-out features that make the PE770 a manageable and uncomplicated machine.
LCD touch screen
It is easy to navigate the features of the Brother PE770 on its LCD touch screen. The touch screen is intuitive to use and you’ll be able to start embroidering designs very quickly, even if you’ve never used an embroidery machine before.
You can use on-screen help to view basic instructions on how to use the machine. This saves you having to go to the manual to check how to use some of the most common functions, though you will need to consult the manual for more in-depth instruction.
Easy threading and set up
The Brother PE770 comes equipped with an automatic needle threader, saving you the hassle of having to thread the machine’s needle by hand. The rest of the machine is easy to thread too, thanks to its functional design.
Additionally, the embroidery hoop is easy to load, helping you to get set up and ready to work in minutes. Overall, this is one of the easiest embroidery machines to set up and thread you’ll find on the market today.
The PE770 also comes equipped with an automatic thread cutter, allowing you to work more efficiently. Additionally, this embroidery machine is equipped with not one but two LED lights that brightly illuminate your work area.
One-touch embroidery designs
To embroider any design on the PE770, all you have to do is select the design on the touch screen, and then press start.
One very handy feature of the Brother PE770 is that you can pause the pattern at any time after the machine starts stitching the design. This lets you adjust your work if you notice any issues with the stitching or other problems such as fabric bunching.
You can set the machine to stop sewing if it runs low on thread. This is a huge advantage when sewing multi-colored embroidery designs, and saves you from having to unpick designs that are missing one thread color because you didn’t notice the thread was running out.
To do this, you’ll just need to select the relevant setting.
Top-loading bobbin
Some users have reported that the factory preset bobbin tension is not correct and needs to be adjusted. Although this is fairly easy to fix, this may be a problem for novice sewists who can struggle to find the correct tension.
Having to adjust the bobbin tension to avoid birds’ nests and skipped stitches is the last thing you want to worry about when you’re learning to sew!
On the other hand, the bobbin’s drop-in design is easy to load. This is good news for beginners in particular, as incorrectly loading the bobbin can cause all kinds of problems.
Versatility
You can use the Brother PE770 for a large range of embroidery projects, with an almost limitless number of designs. Here’s a deeper look into some of the features that make this machine so versatile:
Range of embroidery options
The PE770 comes with 136 built-in embroidery designs. There are also six distinct lettering fonts for monogramming or alpha-numeric designs.
Because Brother PE770 comes with a USB port and built-in computer, you can upload as many designs as you would like. You’ll find plenty of free designs to download online, on Brother’s design website iBroidery.com, as well as on blogs and Pinterest.
The PE770 makes things easy as it does not need any specific software to import designs: you can connect the machine to your computer and transfer any images in .pes or .dst format. The Brother PE770 can also rotate all designs at one-degree, 10-degree, and 90-degree increments, giving you even more possibilities.
This model is also compatible with other Brother embroidery cards, including Disney cards. Furthermore, the PE770 completes all its designs with very good stitch quality, on par with much more expensive embroidery machines.
Different sizes of embroidery designs
The Brother PE770 comes with a standard embroidery hoop to hold your fabric in place with the machine embroiders the design. The machine has a maximum embroidery area of five inches by seven inches, a larger embroidery area than most machines in this price range, allowing you to embroider larger designs.
It is also compatible with hoops of sizes, allowing you to create embroidery designs in various sizes. You’ll need to buy hoops separately if you want extra sizes, but it is easy to find embroidery hoops online for reasonable prices.
Embroidery functions only
As a dedicated embroidery machine, the PE770 is designed for embroidery and monogramming on a range of different fabrics. However, you won’t be able to sew a shirt or even hem a pair of pants on this machine, as it is not set up for regular sewing.
This is a great machine if you work exclusively with embroidery, or do many embroidery projects and want to set this alongside your regular sewing machine. If you’re looking to do some embroidery as well as garment or home décor sewing, you may be better choosing a sewing and embroidery machine such as the Brother SE400 or the Singer Futura XL 400.
Durability
The Brother PE770 weighs 16.4 pounds, which is pretty light for an embroidery machine. This makes it nice and portable, as well as easy to store between uses.
It was a maximum embroidery speed of 650 stitches per minute. While this may not sound like a lot compared to some super-speedy modern sewing machines, this is pretty quick for an embroidery machine.
This is a well-made machine, and few online reviewers report any issues with parts breaking. If anything does break, you may be covered by the manufacturer’s 25-year limited warranty.
Included accessories
When you buy a Brother PE770, you’ll also receive:
- Bobbins
- A set of needles
- A seam ripper
- A cleaning brush
- Spool caps
- Spool net
- Scissors
- An accessory bag to store all of the above
- Screwdrivers for machine maintenance
- USB cable
- Operation manual
- Reference guide
This will set you up with just about everything you need to create a range of embroidery projects.
We say just about everything, as there are one or two things you’ll need to buy before you’re ready to dive into your first embroidery project. For example, you’ll need a stabilizer to embroider designs without the fabric warping. And of course, you’ll also need embroidery threads in the colors of your choice, as well as fabric to work with.
The Brother PE770 also comes with a dust cover, which is handy for keeping it clean when you’re not using it, as well as protecting it during transport.
Alternatives to Brother PE770
Along with the Brother PE770, there are a number of options when it comes to affordable machines for embroidery. This includes another model from the same brand, the Brother PE800.
Let’s take a look at the similarities and differences between each.
Brother PE770 vs Brother PE800
Both the Brother PE770 and PE800 are computerized embroidery machines, both with LCD touch screens and an embroidery area of five by seven inches. Both models also have built-in memory and are equipped with a USB port for computer connectivity, as well as an automatic needle threader and a quick-set, drop-in bobbin.
The PE800 has slightly more built-in designs, with 138 designs compared to the PE770’s 136. More significantly, the PE800 has 11 built-in fonts, while the PE770 only has six. The PE800 also has a full-color screen, an upgrade from the PE770’s black and white touch screen.
The Brother PE800 is still a current model in Brother’s range, and so may be easier to find for sale online.
Read the full Brother PE800 review.
Wrapping up
If you’re looking for an affordable and reliable embroidery machine at a reasonable cost, the Brother PE770 is a good choice. Although this model has been discontinued, it is still possible to find it for purchase online.
One of the biggest advantages of this machine is its computer connectivity, which means you can import any design of your choice. Therefore, you’re only limited by your imagination!
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