Japan · since 1908
The safe answer, almost everywhere
Brother is the brand we could verify on more markets than any other, and that is its real advantage. Machines are competent rather than exceptional at every price point, but a Brother is stocked, serviced and supplied with parts in every country we checked. On a machine you keep for a decade, that matters more than a stitch count.
In short. If you do not know what to buy and cannot get to a dealer, a Brother is rarely the wrong answer. It is also rarely the most interesting one.
Coverstitch · 7 stitch types · 155 mm arm
A well-documented coverstitch machine running two to five threads, with a 155 mm throat and differential feed. Five European markets; on amazon.com the search returns an accessory, not the machine.
Best for: Hemming knits properly, and anyone who has outgrown a twin needle on a normal machine
≈ £600 / 800 €
3/4 thread · extension table · 3 extra feet
A 3- and 4-thread overlocker sold with an extension table and three additional feet included. One reference across all five European markets, absent from the US.
Best for: A first overlocker for knit garments, where the included table and feet remove the usual follow-up purchases
≈ £350 / 515 €
Computerised · LCD · Europe-wide
Brother's computerised beginner machine, available under one reference across the whole of Europe including the UK. Absent from the US catalogue.
Best for: A first machine in Europe, bought without worrying about which country you are in
≈ 450 €
140 stitches · 3.5" LCD · thread cutter
Brother's upper-mid computerised machine: 140 stitches, ten buttonhole styles, an automatic thread cutter and a 3.5-inch screen. One reference across the whole of Europe, absent from the US.
Best for: Garment sewing where buttonholes and finish matter more than raw power
≈ £695 / 1050 €
Mechanical · metal chassis · UK listing
Brother's compact metal-chassis mechanical machine. We found it on the UK store only — and it is the model whose reference Amazon appears to share with the continental JX17FE.
Best for: A first or second machine in the UK where space is short
≈ £89
37 stitches · 6 feet included
Brother's Strong & Tough machine, listed with 37 stitches and six feet in the box — and proven on the American market only.
Best for: Denim and canvas, for readers shopping in the United States
≈ $235
40 stitches · LCD · free arm · 2.95 kg
Brother's light computerised machine: 40 stitches, an LCD, a needle threader and a free arm, at just under three kilos. One reference on all six Amazon stores we checked.
Best for: Light dressmaking, alterations and a first machine that has to live in a cupboard
≈ 200 €
138 designs · 5×7 in hoop · US listing
Brother's dedicated embroidery machine with a 5×7 inch field. We found it on the US store only — the one dedicated embroidery machine we could verify anywhere.
Best for: US readers who want machine embroidery without compromising a sewing machine
≈ $1095
Overlocker · 3/4 thread · 6.6 kg
Brother's 3/4-thread overlocker with stepless differential feed and a retractable knife. One reference across five European markets; absent from amazon.com.
Best for: A first overlocker for knits and garment seams, where threading anxiety is the real obstacle
≈ £240 / 240 €
Electric · free arm
Brother's plain electric entry machine, carrying one single reference on all six Amazon stores we checked — the widest availability in this batch.
Best for: A first machine from a brand you can get serviced anywhere
≈ 98 €
Computerised · UK listing only
Brother's computerised machine aimed at children and beginners. We found it on the UK store only — it did not appear on the German, French, Italian, Spanish or US catalogues.
Best for: A UK household teaching a child to sew on a machine that will not frustrate them
≈ £375
