Brother CE-5000 Computerized Sewing Machine
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- Sewing Machine Type: Computerized
- No. of Built-In Stitches: 50
- Thread Cutting: Manual
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good value for price!
Pros
lots of features for price, very user friendly
Cons
cannot adjust presser foot pressure, whiney motor
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great supplemental machine at a great price, though it lacks some important features.
I bought this machine to have as a secondary sewing machine. I already have a beautiful metal antique machine (also a Brother, but it looks like those old timey Singers and is form the 50's). I love the antique, but it weighs a ton (making it hard to take to class) and only does a straight stitch. I wanted more functionality in a supplemental machine. I also wanted one with a free arm to repair sleeves.
I used to to sell sewing machines and vacuums for Sears so I'm used to the quality Janomes and Janome made Kenmores. I never EVER thought I would by a Brother at Wal-mart. However, the price was irresistible. It was only 140 dollars! When I first found the machine it was on sale for 130 dollars, but I debated so long that the price went back to the original 140. Still a good value for all you get with this machine.
The Brother CE-5000PRW has quite a few features one would expect to find on higher priced machines. For example, top loading drop in bobbin, automatic declutch for winding bobbin, needle threader, on-board manual thread slicer for bobbin and upper thread, automatic needle up or down position stop, and drop feed dogs. It also comes with several accessories including a second spool pin for twin needle sewing, lint brush, extra bobbins, seam ripper, and extra needles (regular, ball point, and twin). It also comes with a wide variety of feet including zig zag, button hole, button attachment, zipper attachment, blind hem, and some others that I'm not sure of. It has twin LED lights to illuminate the sewing area. Those lights do not get hot and last a VERY long time. I can't tell you how many times I've burned myself on the antique's bulb while reaching for the presser foot lifter, so this will be a welcome feature. Also, the lights are placed right over the needle area instead of the rear of the machine where many machines have them. Plus it's computerized!
The machine comes with quite a number of stitches! Some of them are straight, zig zag, decorative, heirloom and quilting, and stretch. I've played with all of them and they are simply beautiful.
Stitch selection is very easy due to the computerized aspect of the machine. Right on the machine, there is a diagram of each stitch. Above each stitch, there is a number. All the user must do is is use the plus and minus keys to change the number on the screen so it corresponds to the stitch on the diagram. Very simple! Length and width are adjusted with the same kind of plus and minus keys in half millimeter increments. The screen also displays which presser foot to use for each stitch. If anything goes wrong, an error code will display on the screen and it can be looked up in the manual to diagnose the problem.
There are two features that I just learned about and wanted to mention as well. The first is that the reverse button (for locking stitches) can be used without the pedal being held down. Also, if doing a decorative stitch, the reverse button will just sew in the same place over and over again to locke the stitch rather than back up over the design and mess the stitch up! Another wonderful thing is the ability to change the needle stop position. That means then when you stop sewing, you can have the needle either land up or down in the fabric. I put it down when sewing something that has a lot of corners, and up for most other things so I can easily remove the work. The thing is there is not a dedicated button for this feature, so one has to read the book to learn how to do this! I've seen several reviews where people actually complained about not being able to alter the the needle end position. It's really simple. Make sure the machine is off. Hold down the minus sign of the left stitch selection key and turn the machine on while holding that key. It changes the needle end position from whatever it is currently on to the opposite setting. Very nice!
Hitherto, I've used the machine for a few practical applications in addition to all the playing I've done on it. The first thing I did was repair the hem on a friend's jeans. I installed a denim needle and began to sew. The machine did fine until we got to the thick part where the seam that ran down the leg met. Then it completely stopped. It made popping and cracking noises and the thread tangled. It also gave an error message and automatically disengaged the presser foot tension. I just knew we broke it... I was ready to box it back up and march it to the returns desk at Wal-mart. Well, I cleared the mess and turned the machine off and then back on and it worked fine. I just walked it by hand (manually turned the hand wheel slowly) over the thickest parts.
The next thing I did with the machine was sew a button (the actual button, not the hole) on a pair of shorts. The button came off several months ago and I had been procrastinating hand sewing it. I attached the button hole foot, set the correct stich width, dropped the feed dogs, and it worked wonderfully! It did a much faster and stronger job than I could have ever hoped to do by hand.
I've also been piecing together a quilt top using the straight stich. The old machine does that fine, but I wanted to play with the new one and it really does a perfect job with that too.
A really thoughtful touch is that there is a ridge on the hand wheel that lets the user know when the needle and thread take up lever are in their highest position. When the ridge on the hand wheel is at the very top, the needle and take up lever are at their highest position. I've heard it's always good to start sewing in that position and the machine also needs to be threaded in that position, so that is a thoughtful feature that I've not seen on any other brand of sewing machine. Another thoughtful touch is that the bobbin does not need to be drawn up before beginning to sew. The machine takes care of that on its own. If you want to still do it out of habit (I accidentally did it, because I'm used to other machines), it's not a problem. The book even says you can either draw up the thread manually or choose not to. The presser feet are simple to change. All the user has to do is to press the quick release button on the back of the presser foot holder and the foot drops off. Then put the new foot under the holder and lower the presser foot lever. It will snap right on! No more screwing and unscrewing the clamp... unless trying to attach a walking or darning foot or something of the like.
The instruction manual is very well written. It was obviously written by people who speak English as a first language unlike so many other product manuals today. I like the fact that the Spanish version is a separate book instead of tacked on to the back of the regular manual. The pictures and diagrams in the book explain everything very well, using good details that are easily understood. The only thing I do not like about the manual is that it was written for multiple machines. Some things don't apply to this machine because they pertain to the features of the higher end machines. I actually got a little jealous reading about all the fun features the nicer machines have that this one does. It was like Brother was trying to rub my nose in the the fact that I didn't have the higher end model!
The bad:
There are quite a few things that are not so great about this machine as well. The biggest issue for me is that the presser foot pressure is not adjustable. On most quality machines (and most entry level machines for that matter), both new and old, the user can completely relieve or reduce the amount of pressure the presser foot applies to the material. This is important for going over really thick materials or for doing freehand embroidery or monogramming. I actually e-mailed Brother to confirm that this machine does not have that feature. They told me in no uncertain terms that they omitted that feature from this machine and the only way to do freehand monogramming or embroidery is to buy a special darning foot that Brother does not even sell... it's included with higher end machines, but not this model. That *really* annoys me. Almost enough to make me return the machine! I'm still on the fence, but since my antique has the feature, and that's probably a good foot to have anyway (only 15 bucks on eBay) I may still keep the machine and just buy that foot so if I must use that function when away from the antique I still can. The needle threader does not work well at all. It's hard to use and isn't very effective. Much faster to thread the needle the old fashioned way. Another bothersome thing about this Brother is the flatbed part that removes to convert the machine into a free arm mode. Usually, the flat bed part is where extra accessories are stored. It is on this machine as well, but instead of making a hinged lid that the user can flip open to access the accessories, Brother did things differently. They made it necessary to remove the entire flat bed part, it's all one piece that does not open. The accessories are stored inside of a plastic bag instead of loose inside the compartment. That does not make for easy access! One more pet peave about this machine is that that the LCD screen is not backlit. Makes it hard to see at times. The final thing is that the machine does not have a memory. That means that if you set your stitch pattern, length, and width and the power goes out or you turn the machine off, you will have to reprogram the machine. Each time you use it, you must reset the stitch. Even a 5 dollar calculator has a memory recall button! Actually that wasn't the final thing... the last thing is that the motor is pretty whiney. It almost sounds ill, but it works just fine!
All in all, this is a good back up machine or second (travel/take to class) machine. Just don't throw out your old metal beauty for things like freehand work and heavy material work. Of course the Brother I really want is the PC-420... it has all the features I compalined about this one missing, PLUS it has an automatic push button thread cutter. Very nice, but I cannot justify spending 600 dollars on it.... that's more than my rent!
Happy sewing everyone!
Update: Just wanted update and let you know that I will be returning this machine back to Wal-mart. Not because it broke or because it is a terrible machine, but I could just not bring myself to get over the missing features it didn't have that I wanted. I just ordered the Brother PC-420 from Amazon for 500 bucks. You only live once, right? Plus, I've got a 26th birthday present coming up, I can't think of a better excuse! As soon as it comes, I'll be returning this machine, but I STILL recommend this one to people who are OK with its feature set, it is packed for the price! Of course you can expect a review on the new "baby" once he arrives!
I used to to sell sewing machines and vacuums for Sears so I'm used to the quality Janomes and Janome made Kenmores. I never EVER thought I would by a Brother at Wal-mart. However, the price was irresistible. It was only 140 dollars! When I first found the machine it was on sale for 130 dollars, but I debated so long that the price went back to the original 140. Still a good value for all you get with this machine.
The Brother CE-5000PRW has quite a few features one would expect to find on higher priced machines. For example, top loading drop in bobbin, automatic declutch for winding bobbin, needle threader, on-board manual thread slicer for bobbin and upper thread, automatic needle up or down position stop, and drop feed dogs. It also comes with several accessories including a second spool pin for twin needle sewing, lint brush, extra bobbins, seam ripper, and extra needles (regular, ball point, and twin). It also comes with a wide variety of feet including zig zag, button hole, button attachment, zipper attachment, blind hem, and some others that I'm not sure of. It has twin LED lights to illuminate the sewing area. Those lights do not get hot and last a VERY long time. I can't tell you how many times I've burned myself on the antique's bulb while reaching for the presser foot lifter, so this will be a welcome feature. Also, the lights are placed right over the needle area instead of the rear of the machine where many machines have them. Plus it's computerized!
The machine comes with quite a number of stitches! Some of them are straight, zig zag, decorative, heirloom and quilting, and stretch. I've played with all of them and they are simply beautiful.
Stitch selection is very easy due to the computerized aspect of the machine. Right on the machine, there is a diagram of each stitch. Above each stitch, there is a number. All the user must do is is use the plus and minus keys to change the number on the screen so it corresponds to the stitch on the diagram. Very simple! Length and width are adjusted with the same kind of plus and minus keys in half millimeter increments. The screen also displays which presser foot to use for each stitch. If anything goes wrong, an error code will display on the screen and it can be looked up in the manual to diagnose the problem.
There are two features that I just learned about and wanted to mention as well. The first is that the reverse button (for locking stitches) can be used without the pedal being held down. Also, if doing a decorative stitch, the reverse button will just sew in the same place over and over again to locke the stitch rather than back up over the design and mess the stitch up! Another wonderful thing is the ability to change the needle stop position. That means then when you stop sewing, you can have the needle either land up or down in the fabric. I put it down when sewing something that has a lot of corners, and up for most other things so I can easily remove the work. The thing is there is not a dedicated button for this feature, so one has to read the book to learn how to do this! I've seen several reviews where people actually complained about not being able to alter the the needle end position. It's really simple. Make sure the machine is off. Hold down the minus sign of the left stitch selection key and turn the machine on while holding that key. It changes the needle end position from whatever it is currently on to the opposite setting. Very nice!
Hitherto, I've used the machine for a few practical applications in addition to all the playing I've done on it. The first thing I did was repair the hem on a friend's jeans. I installed a denim needle and began to sew. The machine did fine until we got to the thick part where the seam that ran down the leg met. Then it completely stopped. It made popping and cracking noises and the thread tangled. It also gave an error message and automatically disengaged the presser foot tension. I just knew we broke it... I was ready to box it back up and march it to the returns desk at Wal-mart. Well, I cleared the mess and turned the machine off and then back on and it worked fine. I just walked it by hand (manually turned the hand wheel slowly) over the thickest parts.
The next thing I did with the machine was sew a button (the actual button, not the hole) on a pair of shorts. The button came off several months ago and I had been procrastinating hand sewing it. I attached the button hole foot, set the correct stich width, dropped the feed dogs, and it worked wonderfully! It did a much faster and stronger job than I could have ever hoped to do by hand.
I've also been piecing together a quilt top using the straight stich. The old machine does that fine, but I wanted to play with the new one and it really does a perfect job with that too.
A really thoughtful touch is that there is a ridge on the hand wheel that lets the user know when the needle and thread take up lever are in their highest position. When the ridge on the hand wheel is at the very top, the needle and take up lever are at their highest position. I've heard it's always good to start sewing in that position and the machine also needs to be threaded in that position, so that is a thoughtful feature that I've not seen on any other brand of sewing machine. Another thoughtful touch is that the bobbin does not need to be drawn up before beginning to sew. The machine takes care of that on its own. If you want to still do it out of habit (I accidentally did it, because I'm used to other machines), it's not a problem. The book even says you can either draw up the thread manually or choose not to. The presser feet are simple to change. All the user has to do is to press the quick release button on the back of the presser foot holder and the foot drops off. Then put the new foot under the holder and lower the presser foot lever. It will snap right on! No more screwing and unscrewing the clamp... unless trying to attach a walking or darning foot or something of the like.
The instruction manual is very well written. It was obviously written by people who speak English as a first language unlike so many other product manuals today. I like the fact that the Spanish version is a separate book instead of tacked on to the back of the regular manual. The pictures and diagrams in the book explain everything very well, using good details that are easily understood. The only thing I do not like about the manual is that it was written for multiple machines. Some things don't apply to this machine because they pertain to the features of the higher end machines. I actually got a little jealous reading about all the fun features the nicer machines have that this one does. It was like Brother was trying to rub my nose in the the fact that I didn't have the higher end model!
The bad:
There are quite a few things that are not so great about this machine as well. The biggest issue for me is that the presser foot pressure is not adjustable. On most quality machines (and most entry level machines for that matter), both new and old, the user can completely relieve or reduce the amount of pressure the presser foot applies to the material. This is important for going over really thick materials or for doing freehand embroidery or monogramming. I actually e-mailed Brother to confirm that this machine does not have that feature. They told me in no uncertain terms that they omitted that feature from this machine and the only way to do freehand monogramming or embroidery is to buy a special darning foot that Brother does not even sell... it's included with higher end machines, but not this model. That *really* annoys me. Almost enough to make me return the machine! I'm still on the fence, but since my antique has the feature, and that's probably a good foot to have anyway (only 15 bucks on eBay) I may still keep the machine and just buy that foot so if I must use that function when away from the antique I still can. The needle threader does not work well at all. It's hard to use and isn't very effective. Much faster to thread the needle the old fashioned way. Another bothersome thing about this Brother is the flatbed part that removes to convert the machine into a free arm mode. Usually, the flat bed part is where extra accessories are stored. It is on this machine as well, but instead of making a hinged lid that the user can flip open to access the accessories, Brother did things differently. They made it necessary to remove the entire flat bed part, it's all one piece that does not open. The accessories are stored inside of a plastic bag instead of loose inside the compartment. That does not make for easy access! One more pet peave about this machine is that that the LCD screen is not backlit. Makes it hard to see at times. The final thing is that the machine does not have a memory. That means that if you set your stitch pattern, length, and width and the power goes out or you turn the machine off, you will have to reprogram the machine. Each time you use it, you must reset the stitch. Even a 5 dollar calculator has a memory recall button! Actually that wasn't the final thing... the last thing is that the motor is pretty whiney. It almost sounds ill, but it works just fine!
All in all, this is a good back up machine or second (travel/take to class) machine. Just don't throw out your old metal beauty for things like freehand work and heavy material work. Of course the Brother I really want is the PC-420... it has all the features I compalined about this one missing, PLUS it has an automatic push button thread cutter. Very nice, but I cannot justify spending 600 dollars on it.... that's more than my rent!
Happy sewing everyone!
Update: Just wanted update and let you know that I will be returning this machine back to Wal-mart. Not because it broke or because it is a terrible machine, but I could just not bring myself to get over the missing features it didn't have that I wanted. I just ordered the Brother PC-420 from Amazon for 500 bucks. You only live once, right? Plus, I've got a 26th birthday present coming up, I can't think of a better excuse! As soon as it comes, I'll be returning this machine, but I STILL recommend this one to people who are OK with its feature set, it is packed for the price! Of course you can expect a review on the new "baby" once he arrives!
