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Brother Persona PRS 100 Review (2023 Update)
Note from the Editor: This Brother Persona PRS 100 review was originally written in 2015, and has been revised and updated in 2023. We have added alternatives such as Janome Memory Craft 500E, Janome MB-7, and Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9850.
I happened to be at Laura’s Sewing and Vacuum Palm Beach Gardens store when they uncrated a brand new Brother Persona PR 100 single needle industrial embroidery machine in order to give a demonstration to a potential buyer, a business owner who was in the market for a new machine to be used to personalize caps, t-shirts and other items for her clients.
Since I was there to review new sewing machines, I decided to stop what I was doing in order to watch Dave, Laura’s husband and the store manager as he showed his client all of the machine’s features and taught her how to use it on her own.
Brother Persona PRS 100 Overview
The Brother Persona PRS 100 is a high-end embroidery machine designed for home-based businesses and experienced embroiderers. It features a single-needle embroidery arm with a large embroidery area of 8" x 8", and can embroider at speeds of up to 1,000 stitches per minute. The machine has advanced features such as the ability to edit and customize embroidery designs on the large LCD touchscreen display, and import designs via USB connectivity. The Brother Persona PRS 100 also has a built-in camera function for easy placement and alignment of embroidery designs, and a range of built-in embroidery designs, including monograms and border designs. Additionally, it features automatic needle threading and trimming for convenience.
[geot country = “US”] In the US, you can get a great deal on the Brother PRS 100 on SewingMachinesPlus.com here [/geot]
The Brother Persona PR 100 looks very much like every other industrial embroidery machine that I have review so far.
It has a bobbin winding pin on the left side, a vertical bobbin case beneath the needle, a large opens space beneath the needle where the hoop is attached, an easy to follow threading guide and a large full color LCD touch screen.
The most significant difference, however between this machine and other industrial embroidery machines that I have had the honor of reviewing is the fact that the Brother Persona PR 100 has only one needle, making it necessary to rethread the machine every time there is a need for a color change.
What are some alternatives for Brother Persona PRS 100?
The Janome Memory Craft 500E empowers designers to express their unique style through personalized, embellished, and monogrammed creations. Its intuitive features, including a full-color touchscreen and on-screen editing functions, offer unparalleled convenience. With a maximum embroidery size of 7.9" x 11" and 160 built-in designs, this machine caters to intricate projects. The automatic thread cutter, advanced needle threader, and USB import capability enhance efficiency. Navigating through its advanced features is seamless, thanks to the vivid and user-friendly LCD color touchscreen, making the MC500E a versatile and inspiring tool for creative endeavors.
- Empowers designers with personalized, embellished, and monogrammed creations
- Full-color touchscreen and on-screen editing functions for unparalleled convenience.
- Maximum size of 7.9" x 11" accommodates intricate projects
- Some users, especially beginners, might find the advanced features a bit overwhelming
MB7 is a very high end industrial grade device that has got it all. There is not much that it can not do. You think, and it does it. For features, the MB7 comes with an impressive 6 LED lamps built over the needle area. It also packs 50 inbuilt designs and 10 different fonts for monogramming. You can transfer your designs via USB. There are three different formats available for your embroidery designs and the device runs at a decent 800SPM.
Are you searching for a compact-size embroidery machine? Then, with Janome Horizon Memory Craft 850, your hunt just ended. The machine can impress you with its versatility and abundance of great features. It consists of sewing and embroidery modes, allowing you to easily switch between the skills. Moreover, the machine provides you with up to 200x 280mm hoop capabilities to ensure precision, especially during embroidery, and the latest needle threading system lets you do some vibrant stitching.
What are the features on Brother Persona PRS 100?
- 405 on board embroidery designs
- 6 Monograming fonts
- 20 Embroidery fonts
- 140 Frame designs
- 8 Quilt patterns
- Updatable software
- Advanced needle threading system
- Dual USB ports
- Drop light positioning marker
- Enhanced on screen editing
- Multiple line text input and editing
- Ability to combine designs
- Automatic tie off and cut jump stitches
- 1 Touch frame adjustment
- Switch designs from multi-color to monochromatic with one touch
- Vertical bobbin
- 7” LCD touch screen
- Ability to successfully embroider hard to reach areas on finished items [e.g. sleeves, pants legs, tags, etc.]
Working on the Brother Persona PRS 100
After watching the demonstration and subsequent sale of the Brother Persona PR 100, I decided to give it a try myself. When it was uncrated, Dave popped the pre-wound bobbin into place, so winding a brand new bobbin was not necessary.
However, the on board bobbin winding guide is so clearly detailed, I doubt actually winding a bobbin would be any challenge at all. The on board threading guide is quite easy to follow as well.
Selecting an embroidery pattern was as easy as it is on smaller embroidery machines manufactured by Brother specifically for use in the home. Simply touch the menu icon and toggle through design options until you arrive at the one that you want.
To simplify the process, people who invest in the Brother Persona PRS 100 have the option of using the stitch reference guide to help streamline the stitch selection process, but I chose to take my time and look at the designs on the well-lit screen.
Normally, when reviewing embroidery machines, I select a design that does not require a thread change. For this particular review, however, I decided to use a two thread quilt block design.
The Brother Persona PR 100 is solidly built, runs smoothly and is very quiet when compared with other machines of its type.
When the first color was finished, the machine stopped and sounded a very pleasant chime. While loading the second thread color, I overlooked one small step in the threading process, which resulted in the machine stopping after just a couple of stiches.
Once my error was discovered and corrected, the machine picked up exactly where it stopped and my design was finished with perfection. I looked over the finished design very closely and could not detect where it had stopped and restarted.
The Brother Persona PR 100 is so solid that even while sitting atop the crate it was shipped in, there was very little vibration. I could just imagine that if it were operating while sitting atop an actual workstation or table designed specifically for a machine of this type, there would be no vibration whatsoever.
Which fabrics work on the Brother Persona PRS 100?
| Fabrics that work | Fabrics that don’t work |
|---|---|
| Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester Knits(Medium to heavyweight only) Denim Upholstery Canvas/Twill Plastic/Rubber | Leather/suede Fur Reptile skin Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers |
What accessories come with Brother Persona PRS 100?
Standard accessories:
- 4 Spool thread stand
- Cap frame and driver set
- Embroidery hoops:
- 8” x 8”
- 4” x 4”
- 2” x 2”
- 1.5” x 1.75”
Optional accessories:
- Wide table
- Machine stand
- Optional embroidery hoops:
- 8” x 8” flat frame to handle thick fabrics [e.g. jackets, coats, leather, suede, fur]
- 4” x 7” border frame
- Round frame kit:
- 4”
- 5”
- 6”
- Center shoe clamp frame
How to maintain the Brother Persona PRS 100?
| Maintenance activities | After each use | Monthly | Once each year | As needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean race hook and feed dogs | Yes | No | No | No |
| Wipe head with soft dry cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Wipe head with soft damp cloth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Lubricate | No | No | No | No |
| Service by sewing machine repair professional | No | No | Yes | No |
Brother Persona PRS 100 Summary
Since beginning to write reviews of sewing machines of all types, I have reviewed several table top single purpose embroidery machines that are the likes of Brother Persona PRS 100. Up until a visit to Laura’s Sewing and Vacuum, I have always observed these massive machines in operation because of the rather significant amount of training that is required before actually operating without running the risk of causing damage to the machine.
The Brother Persona, however, is quite different. This is the very first machine of its type that I have observed to be user friendly in every way… so much so that I was quite comfortable operating it after just observing a demonstration for a customer. This is by far the most user friendly industrial embroidery machine that I have seen thus far. It is compact, easy to learn, easy to operate and easy to maintain. This is largely due to the actual design of the Brother Persona PR 100.
While on first glance, it appears to be identical in every way to those high tech, complicated industrial embroidery machines, the Brother Persona PR 100 has been designed to bring commercial grade embroidery to the home as well as to simplify the work of those individuals in the professional embroidery industry. It is a wonderful piece of equipment for working on small private and commercial embroidery tasks, but with an embroidery field that is no larger than 8” x 8”, the options for larger commercial embroidery jobs are limited.
With this in mind, I do not believe the Brother Persona PR 100 is a good fit for any setting where large embroidery projects like banners and other very large projects are the norm. However, if smaller embroidery jobs, like ball caps, shirts, jackets, cuffs and children’s clothes are the order of the day, this is an ideal addition to any private or commercial sewing room.
With an 18” footprint, the Brother Persona PR 100 takes much less table space than most other embroidery machines designed strictly for home use. This single fact makes this machine a viable option for anyone who wants to add an embroidery machine to their home sewing room, but is concerned about space limitations.
In my opinion and to conclude this review, the most endearing feature about the Brother Persona PRS 100 is the ease with which I was able to learn to operate it. There are no complicated measurements or scales to master. I especially like the fact that the on screen editing process is practically identical to the same process on all of the other Brother embroidery or sewing and embroidery machines currently available… which is one of the most user friendly systems I have had the pleasure of working with.
Anyone who has any experience working on a Brother embroidery machine of any type would have absolutely no problem whatsoever transferring those skills to the high powered, faster Brother Persona PR 100 which offers many, many more design options as well as the advantage of computer connectivity and all that comes with it.
By having the ability to connect the Brother Persona PR 100 to a home computer, users have an almost infinite number of options and choices for embroidery designs that they can create. In the final analysis, my feeling is that the Brother Persona PR 100 is possibly the most user friendly industrial embroidery machine available at this point in time.
It is not only user friendly, it produces spectacular designs with quiet speed and precision that I have thus far only seen on much larger, heavier machines. If you are in the market for a single needle high speed industrial powered embroidery machine for your home sewing room or professional embroidery studio, take the time to visit an authorized Brother sewing machine dealer in your local area and ask for a demonstration of the Brother Persona PR 100.
Brother Persona PRS 100 Review
Summary
The Brother Persona PRS 100 stands out in the world of embroidery machines, presenting a user-friendly experience that’s unparalleled. Unlike other industrial embroidery machines that demand significant training, the Brother Persona PRS 100 is intuitive. One can easily learn its functions after just a single demonstration.
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Happy Stitching.
Good day I kind of like the PRS100. I am from South Africa and was wondering if we will also get the machine in our country and what the price will be.
Shanell
Hello Shanell,
Thank you for visiting Sewing Insight.
The best way to find out if the Persona PRS 100 is available in South Africa is to start by visiting the Brother South Africa website…
Price and availability in ala
Hello, Mary –
You need to do a dealer locator search at the Brother website. http://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing/DealerLocator.aspx#.VlsLjtKrSHw Type in your zip code and you will get a list of dealers in or near you.
To embroider a design larger than 8 x 8 would using a technique like multi hooping work? Also, does the Persona PRS 100 have a usb port connect to a pc?
You gave us a complete review. . .
and indicated that it was the best machine for the home. . .
with an accompanying home-friendly price. . .
and then you never mentioned the price… (sigh)
how much is it…?
Hello, Earlj –
Thank you for visiting Sewing Insight.
I have pretty much stopped posting the MSRP because every authorized sewing machine dealer is authorized to negotiate the price of brand new sewing machines within parameters set by the manufacturer. The MSRP is only a SUGGESTED retail price which no one really adheres to. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you talk with your local Brother dealer in order to get a price quote for this and any other sewing, quilting or embroidery machine you are interested in purchasing.
Happy stitching.
I, too, was disappointed that even the MSRP wasn’t mentioned. The nearest dealer is a day’s drive from me and I would have to get a motel room for the night and drive back the following day! So then after all that driving what if I can’t afford it? Can’t you just email me and give me a price range, please?
Did anyone get an answer to the MSRP. It should make no diference to post ‘full price’ here to give us at least an idea if it is in our reach.
Why can’t we order straight from brother?
* * *
It appears that Brother dealers are like car dealers…
The dealer has the option to “negotiate” a price with a lot of smoke and mirrors once a potential client walks into the showroom.
* * *
It is a bit foolish to not at least give us a ballpark price to save us time and money…
* * *
Then again, they do make affordable and quality machines…
So, we either put up with their foolishness or go somewhere else…
I’m making a trip to a dealer here in North Carolina soon…
I had planned for SAT, but the dealer is closed so they can attend a workshop tomorrow and SAT…
I’ll be there MON. . . or perhaps drive to another dealer twice as far away…
LOL
. . .56 miles, one way. . .
This pricing nonsense makes me laugh. . .
(sigh)
(sigh)
The MSRP I believe is $5999.00 based on what I was told by a dealer. You can probably get a floor model (as I have almost ALWAYS done as you save a huge amount), for 4999.00.
I have been researching and the most common price I’ve come across is $7,000. I was able to get mine for $5,000 as when I inquired at the Brother dealer they had “Fair” prices going during the county fair weeks and on top of that I opted to save even more by purchasing the display model. When my daughters dance company performed at the fair I was able to go to “visit” my machine and see it in action. Looking forward to bringing it home soon.