Brother Q Series Comparison

Introduction

For months, the sewing community has been hearing rumors about a new series of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines from Brother. This much anticipated line of machines has a very nondescript name… the Q series.

According to the Brother website, the ‘Q’ stands for Quick, Queen sized, Quintuplets [because there are five machines], but in my opinion, the ‘Q’ will eventually come to simply mean ‘quality’ for many home sewers.

The Q series is made up of five different sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, three of which have the very popular Project Runway logo.

There is one combination embroidery and sewing machine with Disney characters, one embroidery only machine; two combination sewing and quilting machines; and one basic sewing machine with limited quilting capabilities.

My Experience with the Brother Q Series

I spent an entire day at Laura’s Sewing and Vacuum Palm Beach Gardens store reviewing all five of the machines in Brother Q series.

Every one of these machines is well built, solid, ergonomically designed, user friendly and they are all economically priced, which means that none of them will break the bank.

In my opinion, the machines in the Brother Q series are so well built that some of the long standing favorite brands should take heed, especially when it comes to user friendliness and affordability. Before long, they might just be feeling the pressure of new competition nipping at their heels.

The five machines in the Brother Q series are:

• Innov-is NQ 3500D – a sewing and embroidery machine that features Disney characters;
• Innov-is NQ 1400E – an embroidery only machine;
• Innov-is Project Runway Limited Edition NQ 1300 PRW – a fully loaded sewing and embroidery machine;
• Innov-is Project Runway Limited Edition NQ 900 PRW – an economically priced sewing and quilting machine that comes with fewer standard features and accessories than the NQ 1300 PRW, but has all of the essentials; and
• Innov-is Project Runway Limited Edition NQ 700 PRW – a basic sewing machine with quilting capabilities.

What Do the Machines in the Q Series Have in Common?

Regardless of which model you choose, every machine in the Q series has the following features:

• 8.3” needle to column – 14% larger than earlier machine models;
• Advanced needle threading system;
• Quick set drop in bobbin;
• Longer feed dogs and zigzag foot [sewing and quilting machines only];
• My custom stitch memory function;
• 10 One step buttonholes [not available on the NQ 1400E];
• Variable speed control slider [not available on the NQ 1400E];
• Function buttons:
  • Start/stop
  • Needle up/down
  • Reverse stitch*
  • Thread tie off and cut

An Easy Comparison of the Machines in the Brother Q Series

	NQ 3500D	NQ 1400E	NQ 1300 PRW	NQ 900 PRW	NQ 700 PRW
Sewing Stitches	290	n/a	290	240	180
Combinable stitches	58	n/a	58	58	40
Sewing fonts	5 (3 al-num,1 Cyr,1 Jap)	n/a	5 (3 al-num,1 Cyr,1 Jap)	5 (3 al-num,1 Cyr,1 Jap)	5 (3 al-num,1 Cyr,1 Jap)
Sideways sewing	n/a	n/a	Yes	No	No
AHA – Automatic Height Adjuster	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Automatic tension adjustment	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Pivot function	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extension table included	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
On board embroidery designs	173 including 35 Disney characters	138	n/a	n/a	n/a
Embroidery frame combinations	140	140	n/a	n/a	n/a
Embroidery fonts	11	11	n/a	n/a	n/a
On screen editing	Yes	Yes	n/a	n/a	n/a
Embroidery area	6” x 10”	6” x 10”	n/a	n/a	n/a
Design rotate	1°, 10°, 90°	1°, 10°, 90°	n/a	n/a	n/a

Conclusion

When it comes to user friendlies, workmanship, overall performance and affordability, I cannot think of a more capable machine or in this case series of sewing machines that is comparable to the Brother Q Series.

The only exception is the new Baby Lock line of sewing quilting and embroidery machines, the Soprano , Aventura, and Flourish. These machines are, after all, manufactured in the same facility and are practically identical in every way.

The Baby Lock machines seem to have a slightly higher MSRP, and conceivably have a little extra under the hood, but to the consumer, it’s almost like deciding to purchase a Buick or a Pontiac. The bodies and interiors look alike, however, one has a little more quality built in.

Whether yours is a Buick or Pontiac budget, I don’t think car salespeople will say that you will go wrong with either one, and I don’t think you will be disappointed with either of these new machines. The Brother Q line is more affordably priced, which is a definite advantage for the budget conscious consumer.

The quality of the stitches, the ease with which the machines are handled and the solid construction are all superior to practically every other sewing, embroidery or quilting machine in the same price rang that I have been able to review.

Each of the machines in the Brother Q series is ideal for the beginner as well as the seasoned home sewer. Beginners will be very comfortable the ease with which they will be able to learn to use these machines and the experienced home sewer will love the way the machine handles and appreciate the stitch quality and ergonomic design.

While I was reviewing these machines at Laura’s Sewing and Vacuum, a woman came in and asked for a demonstration of the NQ 1300 PRW, the fully equipped sewing and quilting machine in the series.

I observed while Laura sat with the customer and showed her all of the features and advantages of the 1300. In no time at all, this woman was programing stitches and sewing rows of stitches without any guidance or assistance from Laura whatsoever.

If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to set aside some time to visit the authorized Brother Innov-is dealer in your area and ask for a demonstration of the machines in the Brother Q series one day soon. It’s the only way to see for yourself just how far Brother has gone to improve its overall standing in the sewing community.