A honest and impartial comparison between two entirely different sewing machines, the Brother SE400 and CS6000i. Both are poles apart in features and price.
This is a very interesting comparison mainly because of two things. One is that, you are comparing two machines that belong to entirely different categories (Brother SE400 is a sewing & embroidery combo machine whereas CS6000i is a computerized sewing machine). It is like comparing an SUV with a sedan, they belong to two different worlds don’t they? The second interesting thing is that, you are comparing two high class, top performers in their respective segment. Brother SE400 is arguably the best sewing & embroidery combo machine you can get in US. Brother CS6000i on the other hand, is one of the best if not the best sewing machine in the under $200 price bracket. It has been the best seller for a long long time.
The next big thing is the price difference. There is no question about which one is expensive. Brother SE400 costs almost double the price of CS6000i, which is understandable because of the feature differences. So this comparison mainly comes down to the feature differences between Brother SE400 and CS6000i.
Brother SE400 Vs CS6000i – Features Comparison
As I have said earlier, Brother SE400 is different in a sense that you can do both regular sewing and embroidery on it. It is like a 2 in 1 kind of machine. Brother CS6000i can do regular sewing only, there is no embroidery option. Let us have a look at the feature differences at first.
Built-in Stitches : Brother SE400 wins hands down here with 67 built-in stitches which includes 10 one-step buttonholes. Brother CS6000i has only 60 built-in stitches including 7 one-step buttonholes. So those who are looking for variety stitches will find SE400 more appealing (but it is just a 7 stitch difference).
Motor : CS6000i being a regular sewing machine gets slightly more powerful motor. CS6000i’s motor can deliver 850 stitches/min in comparison with 710 stitches/min motor of SE400. So CS6000i can sew faster than SE400.
Feed : The 7-point feed of SE400 ensures slightly better fabric feeding in comparison with the 6-point feed of CS6000i.
LCD Screen : SE400 boasts of a sophisticated LCD touch screen with built-in help tutorials, zoom function and languages. The LCD screen on CS6000i is pretty basic. It is a black and white display which is not backlit.
Work Lights : Even though CS6000i is inexpensive, its work space is well lit by 2 LED bulbs. SE400 has a single LED bulb only.
Automatic Thread Cutter : SE400 comes with an automatic thread cutter, which eliminates the use of scissors. You can cut the remaining thread by just the touch of a button. CS6000i doesn’t have this feature. It is a premium feature and I haven’t seen this feature on any of under $200 machines.
Monogramming : SE400 has the upper hand here with 5 built-in fonts for monogramming. This function is completely absent on CS6000i. So if you do monogramming, SE400 is the only option.
Machine Weight : Even with the additional embroidery function, Brother SE400 is only .67 pounds heavier than CS600i.
Brother SE400 Embroidery Features
In addition to the above said differences, the embroidery capabilities of Brother SE400 include
- 4″ x 4″ embroidery area
- One 4″ x 4″ embroidery hoop
- Embroidery speed of 400 stitches/min
- 70 built-in embroidery designs (you can also import unlimited number of designs from the internet via USB connectivity port. However, this is applicable to embroidery designs only, you can’t import regular sewing stitches)
- USB connectivity
- Embroidery card compatible
- Pattern rotating
All other feature comparisons are given below
| Machine Features | Brother SE400 | Brother CS6000i |
| LCD Touch Screen | Yes | No |
| On Screen Help | Yes | No |
| LED Work Light | 1 LED | 2 LEDs |
| Table | Separate Purchase | Yes |
| Automatic Needle Threader | Yes | Yes |
| Independent Bobbin Winding Motor | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Thread Cutter | Yes | No |
| Top Drop-in Bobbin | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum Sewing Speed | 710 stitches/min | 850 stitches/min |
| Feed Dog | 7 | 6 |
| Built-in Sewing Stitches | 67 | 60 |
| Buttonhole Styles | 10 1-step | 7 1-step |
| Max Stitch Width | 7mm | 7mm |
| Max Stitch Length | 5mm | 5mm |
| Sewing Start/Stop Button | Yes | Yes |
| Variable Speed Control | Yes | Yes |
| Programmable Needle Up/Down | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Lettering Fonts | 5 | No |
| Presser Foot Leveling | Yes | No |
| Drop Feed | Yes | Yes |
| Machine Weight | 13.67 lbs | 13 lbs |
| Warranty | 25 Year Limited | 25 Year Limited |
| Embroidery Area | 4″ x 4″ | NA |
| Built-in Embroidery Designs | 70 | NA |
| Trial Position/Layout Function | Yes | NA |
| Pattern Rotating | 1, 10, or 90 Degrees | NA |
| USB Connectivity | Yes | NA |
| Embroidery Card | Yes | NA |
| Maximum Embroidery Speed | 400 stitches/min | NA |
Brother SE400 Vs CS6000i – Performance Comparison
Actually there is no need to compare the performance of these two machines. We all know how good they are (both machines features in our list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’ for a reason). As far as stitch quality is concerned, both machines are neck on neck. Both machines handle multiple layers of denim exceptionally well. However, the extra features of SE400 helps it score better than CS6000i in the ease of use department. But it is not a huge difference, CS6000i is also very user-friendly, which is pretty evident from its popularity.
Verdict
Brother SE400 is the best sewing & embroidery combo machine you can get. Brother CS6000i is the most popular sewing machine in US. Even then the decision making is not very difficult, if you know what you are looking for. If you intend to do embroidery, just close your eyes and go for SE400. Because you won’t even get an embroidery only machine of this quality for the price of SE400 (forget combo machines). So if embroidery is in your mind, it’s SE400 all the way. If you don’t need embroidery function, go with Brother CS6000i. Because you are getting an amazing sewing machine at an affordable price.
