Brother PE800 vs SE1900 – Differences explained

When choosing a sewing or embroidery machine, the options can be overwhelming. There seems to be an endless number of model numbers to compare with different features, making it very confusing for consumers. That’s why in this article, we’ll be comparing the Brother PE800 vs SE1900!

If you’re confused about the differences between these two machines, you’re not alone! We’ll break down the differences between them and help you to make your choice. Let’s start with a quick comparison table of features.

Brother PE800 VS SE1900 Features Comparison

Brother PE800 vs SE1900 – Differences Explained

The biggest difference between the PE800 vs the SE1900 is that the SE1900 is a combination sewing and embroidery machine, and the Brother PE800 is an embroidery ONLY machine. So, if you need a brother sewing machine that embroiders as well as sews, the SE1900 will be the machine for you.

There also seems to be a difference in acceptable fabric thickness. Brother customer service states that the maximum fabric thickness for the PE800 should be kept under 3mm, but the SE1900, can handle up to 6mm. So, definitely keep that in mind when choosing a machine as well!

The SE1900 also has a thread sensor which alerts you when your thread is about to run out, and it seems that the PE800 is lacking this feature.

In short, the SE1900 really does seem to be superior to the PE800 in pretty much every way. While you do save a bit of money going with the PE800, it’s really not worth it in our opinion. You’ll save, at best, $100, at the cost of tons and tons of features, including the ability to sew on the machine as well!

Both machines embroider at 650 stitches per minute, and the SE1900 can also sew at 850 stitches per minute.

Click here to check prices, availability, and consumer reviews for the SE1900 and here for the PE800

(OR, keep reading if you’re interested in seeing our full write up and comparison for both machines.)

Brother PE800  – Features and Review

A prominent and impressive feature of the Brother PE800 is it’s large 3.2” LCD touch screen, which allows you to view and adjust your design before you start stitching. You can also use this screen to customize the thread colors for your design.

Moreover, the 5”x7” embroidery area will let you create large designs or combine smaller ones. If you’ve spent any time looking at embroidery machines, you’ll know what finding an affordable machine which offers a decent sized embroidery space is fairly difficult! However, a 5″ x 7″ area should work for most projects.

The sewing machine offers you 138 pre-built embroidery designs to keep you inspired. This includes 10 frame styles and 14 stitch patterns. However, if that’s not enough for you, this machine also has a USB port! Embroidery machines with USB port allow you to upload custom designs you create, or designs you’ve purchased online.

You can choose from a variety of kids and seasonal designs, 10 frame styles, 11 fonts, and 14 stitch patterns to make your fabrics appear the way you want them.  Not only that, but the machine also allows you to adjust the size of these designs, rotate them, or mirror-image them using the design edit feature.

Moreover, the PE800 is perfect for those who want to sew in a darker setting, stitch with dark-colored threads, or work on multiple designs at a time, courtesy of the LED lighting right above the needle.

The PE800 also offers many other premium features, including an automatic needle threader, which works at the touch of a level, a jam-resistant bobbin, which is easily visible so you can see when your thread is about to run out, and more.

In short, the PE800 is easy to use and ideal for beginners. It runs quietly and smoothly and is a good choice for crafters who are looking to get into embroidery. It also comes at an attractive price, but it will have trouble with fabrics greater than 1/8 inch, so keep that in mind if you work with lots of thick fabrics. It should also be said, that while the PE800 is a good machine, it does not sew, and you’ll only be saving around $100 over the SE1900, which does both.

Click here to check prices for this machine and read additional reviews from others.

Brother SE1900 – Features and review

The Brother SE1900 also offers a lot of impressive features that will enable you to sew as well as embroider. You’ll like the 3.2” LCD touchscreen, which enables you to customize and see your designs before you actually sew them. Plus, the SE1900 offers a large 5”x7” embroidery field. So, you can design large or even multiple designs in one go on your projects.

The SE1900 also handles thicker fabrics (6mm) better than the Brother PE800. So, that makes it the better choice for working on quilts, costumes, jackets, and other projects requiring multiple fabric layers. As far as speed goes, the machine will embroider at the same 650 stitches per minute as the PE800, and it will sew at 850 stitches per minute.

The SE1900 is impressive when it comes to built-in stitches. The machine offers a whopping 240 decorative stitches and 10 one-step buttonhole styles. Moreover, you get 138 built-in floral, kids, and seasonal embroidery designs, 10 frame styles with 14 stitch patterns.

What’s more, if you have your own embroidery designs, you can import them into the machine using a built-in USB device. These can either be purchased from various websites which sell these design files, or if you have embroidery software, you can import designs which you’ve created yourself.

While the Brother PE800 is kind of a one-trick pony, only allowing for embroidery, the SE1900 is a full-featured combination machine! It offers you the ability to use monogramming, free motion quilting, embroidery, and pretty much anything else you could hope to do with a sewing machine.

Other premium features include super bright LED lighting, automatic needle threader, 3.2″ color touch screen, 7 feed dog points, needle up/down, quick-set bobbin, advanced needle threading system, upper thread/bobbin sensor, and tons of included sewing accessories.

Some of the included feet include a Zig-zag for hemming, a blind stitch foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, monogramming foot, and a button foot. The SE1900 is also very easy to use; a beginner, or even a child could easily learn to use it, and it runs smoothly and quietly.

Click here to check prices and availability, or read consumer reviews or this machine.

In closing, the SE1900 simply outperforms the PE800. While the PE800 is a tiny bit cheaper, the price reduction is not near enough to make up for the loss of features! The speed and embroidery options for both machines seem to be exactly the same.

BUT, the SE1900 comes with the ability to sew, and free motion quilt. In addition, you also get a lot of great premium features like 7 feed dogs, automatic thread cutter, needle up/down, and a thread sensor for just $100 more. If it were our money, we know which machine we’d choose!

PS. Not sure if this machine is right for you? We’ve done plenty other articles, like our t shirt embroidery machine article, and best embroidery machine for custom and large designs which you may want to read as well! We’ve also compared the PE800 to the NS1150e, another great embroidery machine!

Barb Koehler

Barb, our resident quilter and embroidery aficionado, weaves a thread of creativity through our collection. Serving as the curator of machine embroidery content, Barb infuses each design with a touch of her artistic expertise. The free embroidery patterns you discover on our site often bear the mark of Barb’s craftsmanship. Let’s get crafting!