There are some areas where SE400 scores over LB6800PRW. Both Brother machines are excellent in quality and performance.
SE400 and LB6800PRW are without any doubt, two best embroidery machines in the under $400 price category. The difference between Brother SE400 and LB6800PRW is very minimal. The main difference is in their price. So you must be curious about what makes LB6800PRW expensive over the other.
Brother SE400 vs LB6800PRW Comparison
Here I am just talking about the feature differences only, all other common features are listed in the table below. Any difference is highlighted in red.
Project Runway Branding : You pay the additional money for the PRW branding on LB6800PRW. Really? I am more concerned about the quality and performance of an embroidery machine, and I really don’t care about its branding. So SE400 gets a tick from my part.
Carrying Bag : The more apparent difference between SE400 and LB6800PRW is the rolling tote bag that comes with the later. The rolling bag, to me is not a big deal as I don’t move my machine around. The bag will be handy for those who have portability as top priority. It is a beautiful bag by the way.
Presser Feet : SE400 comes with 8 standard presser feet whereas LB6800PRW has only 7.
Accessories : There are some minor differences in the number of accessories you get. SE400 comes with an extra screwdriver and felt with stabilizer. All other common accessories are –
Buttonhole foot, Overcasting foot, Monogramming foot, Zipper foot, Blind Stitch foot, Button Fitting foot, Embroidery foot, Embroidery arm, accessory bag with seam ripper, needle set, twin needle, cleaning brush, eyelet punch, touch pen, spool caps (3), Extra Spool Pin, Scissors, Embroidery Bobbin Thread, Instruction CD, language setting sheet, USB cable, power cord and Operation Manual
Brother SE400 vs LB6800PRW feature comparison table is given below
Sewing & Embroidery Machine Features | Brother SE400 | Brother LB6800PRW |
Stitch Selection | LCD Touch Display | LCD Touch Display |
On Screen Tutorial | Yes | Yes |
Lighting | LED | LED |
Automatic Needle Threader | Yes | Yes |
Thread Tension Adjustment | Manual | Manual |
Adjustable Bobbin Winding Speed | Yes | Yes |
Thread Sensor | Upper Thread and Bobbin Sensors | Upper Thread and Bobbin Sensors |
Automatic Thread Cutter | Yes | Yes |
Bobbin System | Top drop-in | Top Drop-in |
Computer Connectivity & Design Import | Yes | Yes |
Bed Area (Depth x Width) inches | 5.5 x 13.1 | 5.5 x 13.1 |
Work Space (Height & Width) inches | 3.9 x 5.3 | 3.9 x 5.3 |
Motor Speed | 710 stitches/min | 710 stitches/min |
Included Standard Presser Feet | 8 | 7 |
Built-in Stitches | 67 | 67 |
Buttonhole Styles | 10 1-step | 10 1-step |
Max Stitch Width | 7mm | 7mm |
Max Stitch Length | 5mm | 5mm |
Start/Stop Button & Speed Control | Yes | Yes |
Programmable Needle Up/Down | Yes | Yes |
Free Motion | Yes | Yes |
Free Arm | Yes | Yes |
Embroidery Area | 4″ x 4″ | 4″ x 4″ |
Embroidery Speed | 400 stitches/min | 400 stitches/min |
Built-in Embroidery Designs | 70 | 70 |
Built-in Frame Designs | 10 Shapes x 12 Stitch Patterns | 10 Shapes x 12 Stitch Patterns |
Pattern Rotating | 1, 10, or 90 Degrees | 1, 10, or 90 Degrees |
Soft Cover | No | Yes |
Foot Pedal | Yes | Yes |
Machine Weight | 13.669 lbs
| 13.669 lbs |
Warranty | 25 year limited | 25 year limited |
Verdict
The difference between both the machines come down to the rolling bag, 1 presser feet and felt. If you ask me which machine would you buy. I would always go with SE400, I am not really worried about the carrying case. SE400 comes with 1 extra presser feet, felt with stabilizer and an extra screwdriver, moreover SE400 is the least expensive of the two.
I will share one more interesting statistics with you. The selling ratio between SE400 and LB6800PRW is 6:1, which means 6 SE400 machines are sold by the time a person buys 1 LB6800PRW. It is very clear that most people choose SE400 over LB6800PRW considering the cheaper price for the same features. Moreover SE400 features in our list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’. There are only 5 machines in that list and SE400 is one among them. So you don’t need to worry about its quality and performance.