Brother, stepping up
What does the step up inside one brand actually get you?
Both are Brother computerised machines. Comparing within a brand strips out the noise: same design language, same dealer network, and only the specification changes.
| Compared on | Innov-is F420 | FS40S |
|---|---|---|
| Stitches | 140 | 40 |
| Buttonhole styles | 10 | Not published |
| Automatic thread cutter | Yes | Not published |
| Screen | 3.5 in LCD | LCD |
| Weight | 10.0 kg | 2.95 kg |
| Markets verified | Five — not the US | All six |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these machines answer different questions.
Buy the F420 if you sew garments with buttonholes. Ten buttonhole styles and an automatic thread cutter are the two things that genuinely change daily use, and neither is on the FS40S listing.
Buy the FS40S if you want something light you can move and store, or if you are in the United States where the F420 is not sold. It is a real machine, not a compromise — just a lighter one.
Not on its own. The ten buttonhole styles inside that number are; the remaining hundred decorative stitches are what fits on a box.
Because ten kilos here buys a larger chassis, a screen, a thread cutter and the motor to drive them — size rather than piercing power. Weight indicates build on mechanical machines, size on computerised ones.
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 €
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 €
