Singer vs. Brother Sewing Machine – Which Should You Choose?

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If you’re looking for a sewing machine that is of great value for the price, you’ll have come across the two best companies: Singer and Brother. Here you'll find the Singer vs. Brother brand comparison, and some of their model comparisons. 

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They are the best sellers on Amazon and have top ratings.

Just check the Amazon bestsellers in sewing machines category, you'll know these two brands dominate the top ten machines.

They have comparable sewing machines for beginners through advanced sewers. They even have machines that can embroider designs.

Both companies are committed to providing great customer service. You can contact them easily via their websites.

They provide helpful videos on their YouTube channels. And they’re active on social media like Facebook.

Both Singer and Brother produce quality sewing machines that are easy to use and can sew many types of projects.

The stitches are accurate. And the machines are good for beginners and will grow with you.

So why would you choose one sewing brand over the other?

Brother vs. Singer

Brother and Singer are both top notch companies. They both have great support channels that are easy to use.

They are well known, so it’s easy to get the machines repaired and purchase accessories. They have similar price points which are perfect for the home sewist.

Singer History

The Singer has been making solid sewing machines since the 1850’s. Their sewing machines were known for being so reliable that they were passed down for generations.

Singer ran into some problems in the 1960s and 70s. The quality went downhill. Eventually, the company ended up in the hands of a major corporation that also owns the Pfaff and Husqvarna companies.

Brother History

Brother has been in the sewing machine business since 1908 when the Yasui Sewing Machine Co. was established in Japan.

They changed the name of the company in 1962 to Brother. And they’ve been making quality sewing machines ever since. The company also manufactures a lot of other home electronics.

What About Quality At Small Budget: Brother versus Singer sewing machines 

Both use a lot of plastic in their sewing machines these days. That’s just part of the modern times. The good news is that you can lift your sewing machine now. 

You might think the more expensive the machine, generally speaking, the better it will run. That’s not true. Brother and Singer produce very good inexpensive sewing machines for those on a low budget.

You can get a good machine to sew with both these brands. 

I will say that if you have a very low budget, go with the Brother XM2701 or the XL2600i. They have more features than the Singers low budget sewing machines.

In fact, Brother XM2701 is our pick for the best sewing machine under $100. You can read the detailed review of this sewing machine here.

Singer 1304 vs. Brother XM2701

These mechanical sewing machines are straightforward to set up out of the box and are perfect for beginning sewers. They’re especially great for the younger crowd who are learning to sew.

They’re light in weight, so they’re easy to transport.

Brother XM2701 has a top drop-in bobbin, and the Singer 1304 (review here) has a front-load bobbin.

The Singer 1304 has six built-in stitches, including a four-step buttonholer. Brother XM2701 has 27 stitches, including a one-step buttonholer.

Which wins this sewing machine competition?

They’re both well-loved machines that do the job. Brother XM2701 wins this battle because of its top drop-in bobbin, which is far easier to use.

Click here to check the price and availability of Brother XM2701 at Amazon.

Click here to check the price and availability of Singer 1304 at Amazon.

So How Do I Decide?

Since both are excellent brands, you may want to consider other things:

1.    If you need it repaired, who in town could repair it?

2.    If you needed a warranty repair, is there a place close to you or would you have to ship the sewing machine somewhere else? Would you be able to afford those shipping costs?

3.    Do you have any preferences?

The good news is both companies manufacture their machines with low shanks. What’s that mean? It has to do with the presser foot.

When you measure the distance between the bottom of the foot and the screw, that’s the shank.  A low shank is 3/4“ and a high shank machine is 1.25”.

So if you already have one machine, and you’re looking to upgrade, you’ll be able to share presser feet that you already own if your current machine is a low shank.

Think about any sewing machine you’ve used before as well. On some machines, the presser foot lever is behind the shaft and other times; it’s to the left. You may find you have a preference.

Honestly? It was like when I used to ride motorcycles. Honda and Kawasaki had very similar motorcycles that did similar things and handled nearly the same.

In Singer versus Brother sewing machines battle, it came down to personal preference and brand preference. (Yes, I do still own my Harley Dyna Low Rider. I need to get out driving again soon, but I’m having too much fun sewing.)

So let’s look at the similar machines.

Heavy Duty Brother vs. Singer

Both Singer and Brother have a specialized line of heavy duty sewing machines. They have a sturdier metal frame than a regular sewing machine.  This allows them to sew through thick layers without burning out the motor.

The difference between the Singer sewing machines is the number of built-in stitches available. They’re all great for beginners and people who do a lot of sewing items that use mostly straight stitches.

The automatic presser foot adjustment allows you to sew on thick or very thin fabrics easily.

Here are the Singer heavy duty machines:

Singer 4411: Read our review here.

Singer 4423: Here is our review of this heavy duty machine.

Singer 4432: Here is the review of this machine

Singer 4452: Save 30% on the Holiday Bundle via Amazon.

So, I hear you asking, doesn’t Brother have a heavy duty machine? Yes, they have. Just like the Singer, these are mechanical machines with no computerized anything.

There are 37 built-in stitches on the Brother compared to about 13 on the Singer.

The Brother only sews at 800 stitches per inch. And cannot raise the presser foot extra high as the Singer machines do. 

Here are the Brother heavy duty machines:

Brother ST371HD and Brother ST531HD: Here is the review of these sewing machines.

For me, Singer wins the battle hands down when it comes to heavy-duty machines. Singer heavy duty machines have been around longer, more popular than Brother heavy duty machines and are sturdier.

Brother SE600 vs Singer 9960

Both are top-notch machines and have got fantastic reviews from the customers.

SE600 (read detailed article) has 103 sewing stitches, 80 built-in designs for embroidery, and six lettering fonts, while 9960 gives you the ability to choose from 600 stitches and five alphanumeric fonts.

SE600 has color and bigger LCD as compared to the black and white smaller LCD of 9960 (for better display, Singer has a 9985 model which would cost you more).

9960 (read about it here) has 850 stitches per minute speed as compared to the 710 stitches per minute speed of SE600.

Which one should you choose?

Singer 9960 wins if you need more sewing speed and stitches, but SE600 is better for embroidery and has a more prominent and colorful display. Ultimately, It comes down to your sewing and embroidery needs.

The quality and consistency of stitches are top-notch on both brands. You can’t go wrong with either of these machines. 

Click here to check the price and availability of Brother SE600 at Amazon.

Click here to check the price and availability of Singer 9960 at Amazon.

Brother Designio DZ820E Vs. Singer EM200

The singer has 200 built-in embroidery designs with six alphabet options. Brother has 136.

Both have an LCD touchscreen. The singer has a larger screen for choosing and editing.

Both have automatic thread trimmer as well as automatic needle threading and tensioning.

Singer provides downloadable software for you to use to create designs. Singer also has a universal power supply so you can take the machine internationally. And Singer has a free online owner’s class that you can take.

Both the Brother and Singer have USB ports. The Brother also has a port for their embroidery cards.

The singer has two embroidery hoops - 10.25 x 6 inches and 4x4 inches.

Brother has three embroidery hoops - 5 x 7 inches, 4 x 4 inches and 2.5 x 1 inches

Which one wins this Brother or Singer?

Both are amazing machines; however, Singer wins the DZ820e vs. EM200 battle because it is more flexible and has free online class for owners.

Update: The manufacturer has discontinued Brother DZ820e.

Click here to read the full review of Brother DZ820E.

Check the availability of the Singer EM200 at Amazon.

Singer 580 Futura vs. Brother SE1800

These machines provide you with the ability to sew and embroider for similar price points. They’re the most versatile for the home sewer who may want to start up a hobby business. Or maybe you just love to create gifts for your loved ones.

The Singer has 215 built-in stitches and 250 embroidery designs. It has a small LCD. People find it to be a good sewing machine, but some people had difficulties getting the embroidery to go smoothly.

One very cool quality of the Singer is that it includes a knee lifter attachment. You can use it to raise and lower the presser foot with your knee to allow you to keep your hands on what you’re sewing.

This can be extremely useful if you’re pivoting and turning a corner, and you need your hands to keep the project steady.

The software that Singer provides is compatible with 14  of the common embroidery design file types.

You could get an embroidery design in one format and convert it to the Singer format. Then you import the design into the machine via the USB port.

The Singer comes with 10" X 6", 4" X 4" and 6.75" X 4" endless hoop. The Brother has 5"x 12" and 5" x 7" hoops. Bother have the multi-hooping capability.

However, the Brother has a much shorter learning curve than the Singer.

So while the Brother SE1800 could be good for beginners, the Singer 580 isn’t. Unless you’re a super patient beginner, who doesn’t mind making lots of mistakes while trying to figure something out. I’m not that sort of person.

To compare, the Brother has 184 built-in sewing stitches and 136 built-in embroidery designs. The sewing machine allows you to create the combination of stitch patterns and edits the embroidery designs.

Winner of this Brother vs. Singer comparison

Although the Singer has more things included, still the Brother wins this battle because it’s easier to set up and use.

Update: SE1900 is the newer and better version of SE1800 at the similar price point. It has 240 sewing stitches that are 56 more than SE1800 and also has two more embroidery designs than it's ancestor.

I would suggest to go for most bang for your buck and get SE1900.

Click here to check the current price of the Brother SE1900 at Amazon.

OR 

Click here to check the availability of Brother SE1800 at Amazon.

OR 

Check the availability of Singer XL 580 Futura at Amazon.

Singer 7258 vs. Brother CS6000i Comparison

These computerized sewing machines are quite similar and are perfect for people who want to have versatility with sewing and decorating their creations. 

●    Drop-in bobbin

●    Automatic needle threader

●    Free Arm

●    Good assortment of presser feet

●    Easy to read LCD screen to help you select the stitch

How to pick a winner in this Brother vs. Singer sewing machines fight?

Although the Singer has 40 more stitch options, the Brother is a more versatile machine. The Brother has more different types of stitches as compared to the Singer which has most of its lead in decorative stitches.

If you want to do decorative stitching on clothing or linens, then you’ll want the Singer because it has 76 built-in decorative stitches compared to only 20 on the Brother.

Click here to check the price of the Singer 7258 at Amazon.

The Brother is better if you’re quilting because of the table accessory. It also has seven built-in quilting stitches.

View the Brother CS6000i at Amazon.

Here is the full comparison between cs6000i and 7258.

Singer One Plus vs. Brother XR9550

These computerized sewing machines are flexible and great for the creative sewist.

The Brother XR9550 has 165 built-in stitches and eight presser feet, including quilting, zigzag, zipper, overcasting, blind stitch, sewing button, monogramming, and buttonhole feet. It’s versatile and easy to use.

The Singer One Plus has 221 stitches built-in. You can use the interface to elongate and mirror stitches. Plus there’s built-in memory to save and edit the stitches later. There are threading system and an automatic needle threader.

Both Brother XR9550 and Singer One Plus have an extra large sewing area in case you have a large project, or you’re quilting.

The Brother also has a nice way of seeing all the stitches on the front of the machine. 

The Singer has a heavy duty metal frame for skip-free sewing, and you can handle thicker fabrics and multiple layers easily. 

Which one is the winner in this Singer vs. Brother sewing machine comparison?

Both are the amazing machines. So honestly, neither wins. If you need more stitch options, then pick the Singer One plus otherwise go with the Brother XR9550.  

Check the availability of the Singer One plus at Amazon.

OR

Click here to check the latest price of the Brother XR9550 at Amazon.

Also, check this review of Brother XR9500PRW.

Final Verdict: Singer or Brother sewing machine

It’s difficult to choose one overall winner because it depends upon your budget and what you’re sewing.

So a quick summary is if you’re looking for a good inexpensive sewing machine, choose Brother.

Here is the Brother top selling sewing machine at Amazon.

If you want a good embroidery machine, choose Brother like SE1900 (it's a combo).

If you’re sewing a lot of apparel or heavier fabric or lots of thick layers, choose Singer.

Here's the list of the Singer sewing machines at Amazon.

The bottom line, though, is it can depend on the model you’re looking at.  So leave me a comment as to what you’re sewing and what machine you’re looking at.

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