Brother SE625 Sewing and Embroidery Machine Review - The Enabler of Creativity

Computerized Master of Sewing & Embroidery Machines

Do you enjoy taking up new hobbies?

Are you interested in becoming a sewist, or you already have some experience in sewing?

No matter which stage of your sewing journey you’re currently at, you’ve come to the right place to find your valuable companion - the perfect sewing machine.

All sewists are looking for a machine that will enable them to explore their creativity fully and convert all their envisions into even better projects.

Today, our matter in question is an advantageous option that stands out on the market for the versatility of functions it offers, as well as for the latest software update - Brother SE625.

Brother Industries is a multinational company that manufactured more than 60 million sewing machines. That fact alone can tell you that they are constantly working to produce even better and more innovative models while keeping their traditionally good quality.

I can tell you that, with this machine, they completely succeeded in doing so.

Of course, to see if this machine is the right model for you, I will provide you with my reasoning behind this opinion, as well as with some useful tips and tricks if you opt for this purchase.

Brother SE625 - Scores & Impressions

Before you read my extensive Brother SE625 review, check out this grading table. It will give you an insight into how it performed and guide you to what you should pay attention to.

This was just in broad strokes, so we can now proceed to the complete test without further ado.

Brother SE625 - An In-Depth Review

Read this section to find out my observations about this machine, how it performed during my test, and learn some tips and tricks for your own use.

Physical features

Equipped with all the latest upgrades, Brother SE625 is also somewhat larger than the previous variants. Its size is as follows: 21.1 x 16.4 x 15.3 inches (54 x 41 x 39 cm).

It will take up a considerably large working space, so be prepared to allocate a sturdy table to this technological sewing tool.

It weighs around 24 pounds (10 kg).

Taking into account that we can attribute “large” and “heavy” to this machine, I assume you will not move it around too much, but if you wish, there is a handle to carry the machine by when transporting.

Check out the video presentation from Brother:

Its numerous features and possibilities I will present to you later wholly make up for the slightly robust, but fancy design.

The size of the embroidery area is 4x4 inches (10 x 10 cm), which is often the case with sewing and embroidery machines manufactured by Brother. This is quite big and will be enough for the majority of embroidery projects.

What you will see on the machine itself are various parts that are intended for different features, which can be accessed in different ways: some are operated directly by using a certain part of the machine, some are controlled by the buttons, and some are accessed from the LCD display.

The thread, bobbin winder and thread cutter are operated directly; there is also a hole for sewing with the twin needle.

The main operation buttons that will help you set up your machine are:

• Start/stop button (it is deactivated once the foot controller is plugged in)
• Reverse/reinforcement stitch button (it activates the useful feature to make sure your stitches are extra-strong)
• Needle position button
• Thread cutter button
• Sewing speed controller (again, you can substitute this button for the foot controller; additionally, it cannot be used with embroidery)

I consider these buttons the essence for setting up your machine so that it suits you and your sewing style better.

Take a look at how included sewing foot enhances your experience:

At first glance, one of the unique physical features of this machine you will notice is certainly a smart color LCD touch screen display.

The display size is 3.2 inches (8 cm), and this is one of the best sewing machine displays I’ve seen.

Next to it, there are some operation keys for navigating the functions on the display, the standard “back/next/settings”, etc., buttons, but also some that serve as a shortcut to a feature, such as the “embroidery”, “utility stitch” and “needle exchange” keys.

What is very satisfying is that they work as touch-sensitive sensors; no need for firm pressure on the keys. You can also adjust their input sensitivity. This is a very convenient feature.

The interface and the resolution of the display are very satisfactory and improved compared to the previous versions.

The icons are more intuitive, stitches and embroidery pattern representations are precise, and the colors are bright and accurate.

The standard USB port is used to access all the computerized features this machine has to offer.

Here you can see the LCD display in question:

Using Brother SE625 - Tips From an Experienced Sewist

When it comes to setting up this machine and the necessary materials, all the instructions are clear and precise. Just follow their manual.

Keep in mind you should not cover the air vent while the machine is being used, as it serves to prevent any damage by cooling down your machine’s motor.

Bobbin winding is easy, and I suggest that you use the foot controller for even easier winding.

Just be careful about three things:

1. Always wind the thread clockwise around the bobbin, or it will become entangled. Do this five to six times.
2. Use a lower speed for the thread that may stretch.
3. When you wind a transparent nylon thread, stop it after the bobbin is ½ full.

For sewing, my general rule is to use a fine needle and thread with lightweight fabrics, and vice versa with heavyweight fabrics.

However, to make sure that you get all the materials right, I suggest that you follow the official table that comes with this machine and that I will provide for you:

As you can see, this machine works with a wide variety of fabrics, needles and threads, and I tested them all out. No problems in functioning with any of these.

Just make sure that you get the right fabric-needle-thread combination.

For embroidery, I suggest that you always use a 75/11 needle.

Enough with the advice; let’s see what else this machine offers.

Highlight Features

Let’s move onto my favorite features when it comes to this machine.

The first thing that I have to mention about this machine which sets it apart from the rest is that it comes with a CD.

This CD contains 200 fantastic embroidery designs that are at your disposal, along with 80 ones that are built-in the machine.

My favorite feature is programmed thread cutting because it is not only convenient, but it is also time-saving. When you have this feature on, another feature becomes automatically turned on - the automatic reverse/reinforcement stitching feature.

The automatic reverse/reinforcement stitching feature does come in the package if you turn programmed thread cutting on, but you can also have the former without the latter.

It lets you automatically strengthen your stitches and make sure your work is 100% quality.

Setting the stitch width and length is super easy to set and reset according to your own preference, and it is also easy to set the L/R shift, too, so that all of your stitches are according to your liking.

It also allows for specific settings for a stitch - all you need to do is save the setting that you set with the specific stitch.

I like these options because they let you fully personalize your machine.

More about sewing features:

Sewing the zipper is made completely easy with this machine as well.

Let’s turn back on my favorite feature again - the versatility of embroidery designs.

I’ve mentioned the built-in 80 designs along with the 200 that come with the CD (what a number!), but there is always the option of downloading your own patterns and inserting them via USB.

What the embroidery designs include are Greek applique, borders, holiday, kids and nature, such as flowery patterns.

Here is a preview of some embroidery designs:

Brother SE625 allows you to do basically whatever you want with the embroidery designs.

If you are a perfectionist like I am, and you want everything according to your own liking, you can adjust the thread tension, edit the patterns, or even save the ones you made and use them later.

More about embroidery:

Computerized Features - What Can You Expect

Using a computer is unavoidable even when it comes to sewing, with advanced machines like this one.

You have the option of redoing or refining your designs on the machine itself (I found this fairly easy, the 3.2- inch display is enough), but keep in mind that you can also do this on your own PC monitor.

Your customized designs can be kept on the sewing machine itself, or you have the option of storing them on a USB flash drive.

To keep the machine optimized, and further enhance your experience, I recommend that you check their official site for the software updates regularly. Needless to say that your machine has to be connected to your PC while updating.

A tip: If you choose to use a USB flash drive, it’s important to know which drives are compatible, since I had to get another one to use along with the machine. Take a look at the list here.

Accessories Included in The Packaging

You will get a foot controller along with this purchase.

What I love the most about it is that you can set the maximum speed on the sewing speed controller, so that the speed won’t increase drastically all of a sudden, and you can always be in control.

You also receive two bobbin pins; one is included in the machine.

Among other things that are included that I found neat are a dust cover, an accessory bag and of course, the before mentioned and fabulous CD with 200 embroidery designs.

All these accessories that you get make this machine a valuable purchase.

Let’s Sum Brother SE625’s ins and outs:

Wrapping up with Brother SE625 - Is It Worthy?

As far as I am concerned, Brother SE625 is a machine that scores high on my sewing machine table.

Why am I saying this?

Because it allows you to do basically anything that you can imagine, and the number of designs alone is what initially blew me away.

The quality of sewing, quilting, appliqué and patchwork stitching is remarkable.

What this machine (and I) guarantee is that your creative efforts in combination with its power will come out just as you imagine them to be.

The computerized features allow not only precision but also perfection. It is always handy to be able to practice even the traditional hobby like sewing in a modern and easier way.

When you take all of this into consideration, the capabilities of this machine cannot be ignored - it sure makes for a valuable purchase because it will take your sewing to the next level.