Brother LX2500 is a good beginners sewing machine for basic stuffs. It does lack some features that you can find on another Brother model sold at a similar price.

Brother LX2500 Main Features

• 17 built-in stitches
• Top drop-in bobbin
• Free arm
• Drop feed

Brother LX2500 Review

Sewing Machine Reviews Recommendation Level : MODERATE

LX2500 is an inexpensive sewing machine for beginners. You don’t need to invest a lot.  It is not the best you can get for the price though (there are other better Brother machines for even better price). However it still has some very useful features on board when you compare it with similarly priced machines from other manufacturers like Singer or Janome. Brother LX2500 features 17 built-in stitches including a 4-step buttonhole. There are a total of 38 stitch functions available on this machine.

The machine features user friendly top drop-in bobbin, which is a blessing. You will know the difference only when you compare this machine with that of other manufacturers. Of all main sewing machine brands in US, only Brother provides top drop-in bobbins for under $100 machines (I am not biased, it is a fact that I learned through my sewing experience). The clear cover for bobbin allows you to keep an eye on the thread supply. Stitch selection is done by turning the dial. The maximum stitch width is 5mm and stitch length is 4mm.

Tension needs to be adjusted manually using the dial. One thing I really liked is the over-sized reverse lever, but you need to hold the lever down to sew in reverse which is kind of an inconvenience. The work space is well lit by bright LED bulb. The machine can be converted to free arm for sewing hems or something like that. An accessory storage compartment is also built-in. At 11.9 pounds, the machine is pretty lightweight and you can lift it even with one hand.

Brother LX2500 has a damn powerful motor inside. In fact it has the most powerful motor in the category. It can deliver 900 stitches/min (I checked all other machines in the category and none crossed the 850 stitches/min mark, not even $200 machines). For free motion sewing, you have the option to drop feed dog as well. The machine comes with 25 year limited warranty.

Usability

Brother LX2500 is a good beginners machine. It has a very well made instructional DVD, which covers all the aspects clearly. The stitch quality is pretty good and it even works with couple of layers of denim. There are no issues like jamming or breaking. It is a smooth running machine.

Limitations

The 4-step buttonhole and lack of automatic needle threader is a deal blower for me. 1-step buttonhole and automatic needle threader would have sealed the deal for me. Finishing the buttonhole in a single step is so very easy. You can save eye strain if LX2500 had an automatic needle threader.

The stitch chart is pretty hard to read.

Pros

• Smooth operation
• Lightweight
• Good stitch quality

Cons

• No automatic needle threader
• No 1-step buttonhole

Is It Worth Buying ?

This will be a good machine for those who want to learn to sew (not for those who want to do a lot of creative things). It is good enough for all the basic sewing tasks. But if you plan to do a little more, you would be better of going with Brother XL2600I which has 25 built-in stitches, automatic needle threader and 1-step buttonhole. It is by far the best sewing machine under $100.