Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist is a computerized high-quality sewing machine that doubly functions as a quilting and sewing machine to give your sewing pieces a personal touch with the hundreds of built-in stitches you can choose from.
The Brother SE400 is a computerized embroidery and sewing machine combo that can give you professionally-made sewing projects at a very affordable price.
Both sewing machines have special features to perform embroidery and sewing work. Each has its benefits and advantages that would make you choose one over the other.
Thinking beyond the budget, the Singer 9960 leads in terms of speed, number of built-in stitches and the huge variety of sewing features.
Brother SE400 Main Features
70 Built-in Embroidery Designs
The Brother SE400 has 70 built-in embroidery designs, 67 built-in sewing stitches including utility, quilting, heirloom and decorative stitches, 120 frame pattern combinations, and five embroidery lettering fonts.
Backlit LCD Touch-Screen Display
You can access built-in designs, view tutorials, control design editing features such as stitches, patterns, and alphanumeric stitches through the easy-to-use LCD touch-screen display. You can also view the built-in tutorials on using the SE400’s sewing and embroidery functions right on the LCD touch screen display. The LCD also allows you to rotate images and increase or decrease the size of your designs.
4″ x 4″ Embroidery Area
The Brother SE400 is equipped with a 4″ x 4″ embroidery capability to be used alongside the hundreds of built-in stitches to enhance clothing, home décor and other various sewing projects.
7-Point Feed Dogs
The embroidery and sewing machine is armed with 7-point feed dogs, which can help load the fabric easily.
Computer Connectivity
You can update the designs on your Brother SE400 by connecting to your computer and downloading additional embroidery designs.
Accessories Included
The Brother SE400 has seven sewing feet, such as the buttonhole foot, overcasting foot, zipper foot, button fitting foot, monogramming foot, blind stitch foot, and embroidery foot. The package includes a seam ripper, a needle set, cleaning brush, two screwdrivers, a touch pen, three spool caps, three extra bobbins, and a pair of scissors. The machine also comes with a USB cable, a power cord and an English/Spanish operation manual.
Singer 9960 Main Features
600 Built-In Stitches
The Singer 9960 has a huge selection of built-in stitches, 600 to be exact. The wide variety of stitches include basic, stretch and decorative stitches to bring out your creativity in quilting, embroidery, crafting, and dressmaking. You can also find a selection of fonts to personalize your sewing projects. It also comes with five alphanumeric fonts and 13 built-in one-step buttonholes to provide more creative ideas.
High-speed Sewing
The sewing machine runs at a maximum speed of 850 stitches per minute, making it easier to finish your projects quickly.
Large working Area
The quantum stylist sewing machine has an extension table that can provide a wider area to work, which is necessary for working with larger projects or for quilting.
Accessories
The Singer 9960 includes a wide variety of presser feet which you can match with the huge selection of stitches built in the machine. The presser feet that come with the machine are an all-purpose foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot with underplate, button sewing foot, blind hem foot, satin stitch foot, open toe foot, overcasting foot, darning and embroidery foot, rolled hem foot, cording foot, straight stitch/quilting foot, and even feed / walking foot. Other accessories included in the package are a pack of needles, Class 15 Bobbins, a seam ripper, a lint brush, extra spool pin, spool pin felt, two screwdrivers, two-spool caps, a seam guide, quilting bar, a clearance plate and a shank for presser feet.
Similarities and Differences
Similar Features
Basic Functionality
The Brother SE400 and Singer9960 are similar in their basic functionality. Both are computerized sewing machines that can perform embroidery, quilting, and home sewing tasks. These two sewing machines are also proven and tested for their versatility and great quality.
Automatic Needle Threader and Drop-in Top Bobbin
Both machines have the automatic needle threader and drop-in top bobbin feature, allowing faster threading of the needle and avoiding jamming on the bobbin area.
Brightly Lit Workspace
The sewing machines both use LED lights to brighten the needle area. The Singer9960 comes with two LED lights, while the SE400 has a single LED, but the brightness is almost the same.
Warranty
Both top-branded sewing machines offer a 25-year limited warranty.
Different Features
Motor Speed
The Singer 6690 has a more powerful motor than SE400, making it a faster and more durable machine that candle thicker and heavier fabrics. The Singer 6690 runs at a speed of 850 stitches/min, while the SE 400 can give only 710 stitches per minute.
Sewing Machine Weight
The Singer 9960 weighs 20lbs and is 4lbs heavier than the Brother SE400. It is a bit heavier to carry around, but its heavier weight gives it stability. The Brother SE400, on the other hand, is easy to bring to sewing classes due to being lightweight.
Price and Availability
You can purchase the Quantum Stylist Singer 9960 at $450, and the Brother SE400 Sewing and Embroidery machine is listed at $325. Both machines offer versatility and quality at very reasonable prices.
The two top-branded sewing machines are easy to find online, although the SE400 is currently unavailable on Amazon.
Conclusion
When you compare these two popular sewing machines offering great quality, versatility, and affordability, it is hard to decide which one can serve you best on your projects and get the most value for your money.
If you are more inclined to embroidery and crafting, the Brother SE400 has embroidery features that can bring out your creativity for your sewing projects.
But if you want a sewing machine loaded with a variety of sewing features, with a powerful motor that can help you finish your work faster, and can handle a wide range of fabrics, the Singer9960 would be your best deal.
Customer Reviews and Recommendations
Brother SE400
– I received this machine as a gift. It sews beautifully and quietly. The embroidery function is very user-friendly and easy to use. It’s easy to thread. The drawback is the small 4×4 embroidery area (repositioning hoop is available, though). I love this machine!
– I love the SE400! I can’t believe they make a machine that costs so little and does so much! Two hours out of the box, and I was embroidering. You can go to YouTube and find a video on everything you want to know about this machine. It is very easy to use. I love it, love it, love it. Easy to download designs from the internet, and lots of free designs. Easy to find parts and accessories for the SE400.
– Initially, I was shopping for a sewing machine, wasn’t looking for embroidering capabilities. But I kept reading good things about this machine and thought it would be fun to play around with embroidery. So, I paid a bit more for this machine with embroidery capability, and I’m sure glad I did. At first, it was a little intimidating to use, but I READ the instructions and understood how to work the machine. I have only had this machine for about two months but have been working the heck out of it. So far, so good.
– I’ve had this machine for over a year, and I still love it. It is very easy to use and does all the things a professional wants it to. I love that I can get custom embroidery patterns; I just wish they could be a little bigger. I mostly use mine to make quilts, and the features of this machine make sewing a quilt so fast, easy, and fun. I would recommend this machine for beginners and advanced sewers. I teach a beginners’ quilting class and use this machine. It’s so user-friendly.
Singer 9960
– I’m so new to the world of sewing, and the machine I had prior to the Singer was ok. It was a bit difficult to manage the speed, and my sewing projects weren’t the best. I found out about the Singer 9960 watching a video of a woman who was doing a tutorial on diapers, and all I could focus on was the functionality of her Singer. I fell in love with it instantly! It’s very user-friendly, and I love the thread cutter button and the extension table. I love it!
– This machine is a great example of Singer quality and craftsmanship. I love it and hope to use it for years to come. It has a thread cutter, auto needle threader, extension table, free-arm sewing, can quilt and come with several presser feet, including a walking foot! You can sew with or without the foot controller, and it has speed control on the panel. I highly recommend this machine.
– Very nice machine, especially considering the value/cost. I’ve been using it daily since it arrived about three weeks ago. I love speed control as I sew doll clothing with small tight turns, which comes in handy. Has a lot of great features that are found on higher-priced machines. It is VERY quiet and smooth running!
-After reading the mixed reviews here, I decided to try the Singer Quantum 9960 for myself. Once I got it set up, I immediately started sewing a table runner. The stitches are even and tension perfect! I read where someone said the fabric gets chewed up unless you start sewing far into the fabric, but that isn’t happening to me at all! I can start sewing right at the edge and even backstitch to lock the stitch, and it doesn’t pull the fabric down under the needle then, either. I’m quite happy I decided to buy it, and I would recommend it to others for sure!
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People Also Ask
Q: Does the Singer 9960 include a seam finisher in its features? Maybe similar to serging?
A: The 9960 has several stitches that sew a seam and overcast the edge at the same time. To complete the look of a serged seam, you would need to attach the side-cutter. This attachment is not part of the standard accessories, however, and would need to be purchased separately.
Q: How well does the Singer 9960 handle heavier fabrics (canvas, upholstery fabric, etc.) for home décor projects?
A: I’ve sewed everything from silk, lace, upholstery, suede, quilting and leather to include jackets and placing patches on them as well with no issue doing the above steps.
Q: Will the Singer 9960 make eyelet or rounded buttonholes?
A: The SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist sewing machine can sew both eyelet and rounded buttonholes, in addition to a variety of other buttonholes styles.
Q: Does the Singer 9960 come with a hard travel case?
A: The SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist sewing machine comes with a hard dust cover that fits over the top of the machine. You use the machine’s handle to carry the machine when the cover is on the machine. The manual can also be stored in the front cover compartment of the dust cover.
Q: What is the difference between the Brother SE400 and the LB-6800 Project Runway? They seem to be the same, is one better than the other?
A: They are the same machine. The LB-6800 has one other item, and that’s the rolling cart. But as for what accessories and capabilities of the two machines, they are exactly the same.
Q: Can the USB of Brother SE400 work from an Apple Mac? Or just a windows computer?
A: Yes! I am using mine with a MacBook Pro. All you have to do is hook it up with the USB, then copy and paste your files to the NO NAME drive listed in Finder. I say copy and paste because if you move the files and leave them on the drive, they will disappear once you unhook the USB.
Q: What kind of needles should I use with the Brother SE400?
A: Organ needles are what is installed in the machine when you bought it. There are many sizes and both sharps and ball-point needles. Use the size by what material you are using. For machine embroidery, I use the 75/11 embroidery needles by Organ. These have a longer eye and help not shred the thread, which commonly makes the thread break. You can use other needles, but these seem to work the best for me.
Q: Can you buy larger hoops for the Brother SE400?
A: The Brother SE400 is programmed to only sew within the 4”x4” setting. If you are working with something that needs to be secured and can’t get it in the hoop, here’s what I do. I purchase a can of Dritz Spray Adhesive. It’s a temporary adhesive spray for bonding fabric or paper. Odorless, colorless, stainless and acid-free. And best of all, it washes out easily. It is very easy to reposition your embroidery work and still use a larger fabric area without the larger hoop.
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