4 Home Embroidery Machines: Singer, Brother, Janome, Baby Lock

Singer, Brother, Janome and Baby Lock are all big names in the embroidery field. Their machines are well-known around the global. But which of the home embroidery machine is the best one for home embroidery? Read on!

1. Home Embroidery Machine: Which Is A Better Machine Singer or Brother?

It’s difficult to choose an overall winner between those two embroidery machine giants, but things change when it gets personal. This chapter will give you some knowledge about Singer and Brother machines. Read on and it will help you decide.

1.1 Pros and Cons:

What’s your most desired features? Which brand offers those? The following aspects can be act as a simplified guide to give you some tips about some differences between the two embroidery machine brands. From features, such as ease of use, stitch variety, durability, and price, you may be able to determine which one will best suit your preferences.

• Ease of Use

Both brands offer user-friendly machines targeting beginners. And when you gain experience you can move to more advanced models gradually. Besides, they both have great support channels, so you can contact their employees or dealerships with ease. Their training and tutorials given to consumers are also higher than the average level, which is another obvious advantage.

• Durability

Generally Singer is considered to be more durable. They are known for metal construction, which makes them durable. Some consumers have occasionally mentioned durability issues with lower-end Brother models. But to be fair, they are very close in the basic quality and if you encounter any quality problem, you can rest assured because they will offer a nice warranty service. What’s more, an extended warranty is buyable.

• Stitch Variety

Brother has more stitch types. While most of Singer’s stitches are decorative stitches. If you want to do decorative stitching on clothing, you might want a Singer embroidery machine.

• Versatility

Brother is more versatile than Singer as of most models. It loves to develop high-tech embroidery functions. Offering numerous embroidery features is another point that makes the brand stands out. For tech features on a budget, Brother remains a better choice.

• Fabric

Singer is more suitable for thick fabrics. They can handle many heavy duties. If you do embroidery a lot on thick fabrics like denim, Signer could be a better fit.

• Price

Both Singer and Brother have a huge selection of models at different price points, catering to both beginners and more experienced embroiderers. But Singer tends to produce mid-to-high end machines, while Brother offers more choices across low, mid and high prices. So if you are on a low budget, Brother is more of your thing. Otherwise, both of them will be fine.

1.2 Conclusion

Which one is better depends on what you want. Singer machines last longer. Brother machines have more fancy things and has more cheaper series. Think about your embroidery purpose and the money you’re willing to spend. Customers’ reviews and the after-sale service are also important. Thinking clear and you can find the machine that suits you best.

2. Brother VS. Janome: What is the Best Embroidery Machine?

Of the two  brands, which one is better? To learn about them is the first step to decide.

2.1.1 Janome Embroidery Machine

From sewing machines to robots,  the Japanese company founded in 1921  manufactures multiple products.  Swiss sewing machine brand Elna is owned by Janome Corporation. Janome machines are manufactured in the same plants spread in Japan, China and Thailand. Computerized sewing and embroidery machines are produced in Tokyo, mid-high range sewing machines are made in Taiwan, and some popular range sewing machines are produced by Janome Thailand. The total number of Janome sewing machines manufactured has exceeded 70 million now.

2.1.2 Brother Embroidery Machine

Brother embroidery machines’ owner is the Brother Industries Ltd. The same as Janome, the brand is also based in Japan. Being founded in 1908, the company started its business as small repairing workshop and sewing machine parts manufacturer. With plants based in Japan, China and Vietnam, today Brother runs a business worldwide and owns its subsidiary brand Baby Lock as well.

3. Expanding Topics: Is Brother or Janome a better sewing machine?

There is no true answer. But from the following perspectives, you might have a judgment of which one is more of your thing.

1. Specialization

Janome is more specialized in the sewing. From their official websites, you can find out the fact. Janome embroidery machine models are a lot fewer compared with their sewing machines. The product pages for sewing machines exceed 10 but those for embroidery machines did not even reach three. While Brother owns about 90 sewing machines models and less than 50 embroidery or quilting capable machine models. The comparison shows that Janome might be better at producing sewing machines.

2. History

Both of brands have a long history. Founded in 1921, Janome became a sewing machine manufacturer at the beginning. And Brother didn’t start manufacturing their first sewing machine until 1928. Seven years is not a very long period for companys long-lasting. Through the test of time, both of them have proved their reliability.

3. Models

Brother offers more models. Brother makes different models for dealers. So they actually provide more models than what they carry online. And they had multiple retired models which you might be able to find on the second-hand item exchange platform.

4. Price

Both of them have a wide range of prices. But there is a difference. Brother offers more basic and low-end models, while Janome tends to produce higher-end machines. If you are on a budget, Brother is obviously a better machine for you.

5. Features

If features are your top selected criterion, Brother might be what you need. It’s a well-known fact that you’ll get more function and versatility with a Brother than other brands within the same price range. But Janome can also satisfy most of your needs. After all, the most important thing that requires your most attention is the built-in stitches and sewing speed.

4. Are Babylock and Brother Hoops Interchangeable?

Yes they are interchangeable. Most of their models are identical in structure. Therefore, an embroidery hoop that suits a Brother machine can be put on a Babylock embroidery machine as well.

4.1 Baby Lock

Baby Lock is a relative newcomer in the sewing & embroidery industry. Formed in the 1960s, a Japanese company designed and manufactured overlockers at the beginning. Aimed to create sergers for home use, Baby Lock took the design of industrial sergers and tried to get those machine sizes smaller. A smaller version of the big industrial machine. Their machine is named as baby overlockers, which results in their brand name: Baby Lock. This turns out to be a smart move. Nowadays, Baby Lock is already a well-known brand in the sewing and embroidery field and has a range of products including sewing, embroidery, quilting machines and sergers. The success of Babylock does not only depend on their overlockers. In 2009, the company known for its overlockers introduced a revolutionary sewing machine: BLQK Sashiko. Being the first sewing machine capable of imitating hand sewing, it has laid a foundation for Babylock to open up the sewing machine market. Don’t be surprised when you meet a Babylock that looks similar to a Brother or a Janome. Because Brother produces most of Baby Lock’s machines. Other brands like Janome and Pfaff also make Babylock machines. Essentially they are identical. They share the same features and are compatible with the same accessories.

  Babylock saves quite a lot of expenditure on manufacturing through using other brands’ factories. But that does not mean that a Babylock embroidery machine is of lower quality compared with other brands. Actually, Babylock sets very high standards for their machines and accessories. If the products made cannot satisfy them, Baby Lock won’t let the pack be sent to their dealers.

4.2 Are Brother and Babylock Hoops Interchangeable?

Yes. The two brands share a close connection. Most of Babylock’s products are made by Brother factories because it’s Brother’s sub-brand. Their internal structures are nearly identical and thus they have interchangeable hoops.

4.3 How to Choose Embroidery Hoops?

Different hoop sizes can accommodate different patterns. And different shapes impact the tension of the fabrics. Wrong materials affect embroidery performance as well. No matter what designs you plan to monogram, these criteria are important.

4.3.1 Hoop Materials

Wooden hoops offer a classic appearance. They are also very strong. If you are an old-fashion seeker and pursues durability, wooden hoops might be your thing.

  Plastic hoops are durable and easy to clean. This is a commonly used type of hoop both in the industrial practice and home embroidery areas. However, there is one thing to be clear: Plastic hoops (tubular hoops) do not include the magnetic hoops. Though magnetic hoops are made of plastics, there are given a special name because they are very easy-to-use. Put the upper hoop on, make it connected with the lower one, and then the it will snap together. Same as other hoop types, magnetic hoops can be put to use in any materials including jackets, bags and caps. They provide a firm grip over the garments and are good at reducing hoop burns.

  Metal hoops are made of metal. They are relatively less seen but with good features as well.

4.3.2 Hoop Shapes

Embroidery hoops are available in diverse shapes. There are mainly round hoops, square hoops, rectangular hoops and oval hoops in the market, but some special shapes, like heart-shaped and triangle-shaped, are also available in the home embroidery field.

  Square shapes and rectangular shapes are the most common ones for industrial-use and commercial-use magnetic hoops. Other hoop shapes are normally used in traditional tubular hoops and wooden hoops.

Generally speaking, the hoop shapes are not very vital in the embroidery process. A rectangular hoop can well-fit with a round embroidery pattern. But if you use a round hoop to embroider a round design, it will definitely work better.

4.3.3 Hoop Size

The hoop size should be smaller than the embroidery machine’s max embroidery area and bigger than the design’s size. Below is the detailed process of how to confirm the right hoop size. To choose a hoop of the right size, you should learn about two sizes in advance: your embroidery design’s size and your embroidery machine’s max embroidery area.

• How do you know your embroidery designs’ sizes?

To identify an embroidery design’s size, you can check for three places.

1. Embroidery file’s name:

The name of the embroidery files sometimes will include its size.

2. Size shown on the machine:

Before digitizing the image, you need to upload the design to your machine. And you can check the final complete size of it on the screen.

3. Product Guide

Generally, when you purchase an embroidery machine on Amazon, from a dealership or from a box store, you will get a guide. You can research the answer to your question from it. Then you can check machine’s maximum embroidery area. If you forget to notice it, just input the embroidery machine model name into the search bar and click on an arbitrary website including the information of the model. Once you have found the information for your selected embroidery machine model, it is crucial to understand how to properly adjust the tension to achieve the desired stitch quality and prevent any thread breakage. One thing to pay attention to is: the hoop size has two measurements. They are usually given in inches or centimeters. Below is a hoop size conversion table with the common hoop sizes that embroidery patterns are digitized for:

Conclusion

The best home embroidery machine does not exist. Considering all the features might not be the best solution to choosing a favored machine. From the quality of the needle and stabilizer to the floss used for stitching, things to pay attention to are too much. The best method is purchasing based on your needs and budget. So, forget the bobbin, presser foot and anything else. Those are not that important when you need a quick decision.