Brother Embroidery and Sewing Machine with USB Port LB6800PRW Reviews
I spent almost a week looking for the right sewing and embroidery machine combo. Lots of time were spent reading bunches and bunches of reviews till my eyes were red, but in the end, I opted to put my money on the brother LB-6800PRW grand slam package, which was my first choice actually. I went for a combo machine because my aunt gave me this really thick embroidery book as a gift for my birthday, and the book has turned me into an embroidering nut!
The Grand Slam Package, Brother Embroidery and Sewing Machine with USB Port
The Grand Slam Package, Brother Embroidery and Sewing Machine with USB Port
Update: Sorry, but looks like the Grand Slam package is currently unavailable :(
This is the Grand Slam package. There’s a regular one without the additional goodies. If you have extra cash to splash however, I would recommend the Grand Slam Brother LB6800PRW because the extra items in the pack are worth every penny. And besides, the Grand Slam items are likely to cost a lot more if purchased individually.
Note: To check out Brother LB-6800PRW reviews (standard package), you might as well skip my Grand Slam review package, and hop right over to the link below. You’ll be directed to the standard pack’s product page and there are hundreds of reviews there waiting for you.
Note: To check out Brother LB-6800PRW reviews (standard package), you might as well skip my Grand Slam review package, and hop right over to the link below. You’ll be directed to the standard pack’s product page and there are hundreds of reviews there waiting for you.
If you want to know more about the Grand Slam pack, then read on!
The Arrival of the Grand Slam!
I placed my order online and received my Grand Slam package about 4 days later. Still remember the day I received the boxes at my house, I just couldn’t contain my excitement haha! The LB6800PRW machine and the Grand Slam items were properly packed in two separate boxes.
The Grand Slam Package consists of the following items:
1 copy of Thread Converter Pro 3 which is a software program, 1 cap hoop, 144 pre-wound bobbins, 1 stabilizer, 63 Polystar embroidery threads with snap pool, embroidery scissors, 3 discs containing approximately 15,000 embroidery patterns and designs.
The Arrival of the Grand Slam!
I placed my order online and received my Grand Slam package about 4 days later. Still remember the day I received the boxes at my house, I just couldn’t contain my excitement haha! The LB6800PRW machine and the Grand Slam items were properly packed in two separate boxes.
The Grand Slam Package consists of the following items:
1 copy of Thread Converter Pro 3 which is a software program, 1 cap hoop, 144 pre-wound bobbins, 1 stabilizer, 63 Polystar embroidery threads with snap pool, embroidery scissors, 3 discs containing approximately 15,000 embroidery patterns and designs.
Later in the review, you’ll learn more about the Grand Slam stuff. First, I’m going to talk about the LB6800PRW sewing embroidery machine combo – the pros and cons, that sort of thing…
The Brother Embroidery and Sewing Machine with USB Port: The Device from another Cosmic Dimension!
Haha, you know, after unpacking the machine and had a good look at it. I thought wow, this thing sure looks complicated…Like some kind of device that arrived from another dimension. My previous sewing machine was nothing compared to the LB-6800PRW, and I thought the old one was pretty advanced! Heck now that I think about it, it’s like comparing a late 90’s cell phone model with the latest iPhone.
Okay so the Brother LB6800PRW is a pretty advanced combo machine, but doesn’t mean it is not beginner friendly - far from it actually. Beginners will have a field time with it, provided they check out the instructional guide beforehand. Fortunately, the documentation included in the package is excellent and perfect for new-timers.
It taught me how to operate the machine pretty quickly. So be sure to check out the manuals, people – they are excellent! The text guide is thorough and easy to understand, plus there’s even a video guide for people who aren’t interested in reading written instructions. The video instructions are loaded onto a CD so you can watch them on your desktop PC or laptop.
In addition, on-screen instructions are also displayed on the Brother LB6800PRW’s LCD screen. It has a touch-screen feature and when you put in the sewing arm, sewing settings/options will show up on the LCD screen. See, despite its highly advanced appearance, the thing is actually newbie-friendly.
The Pros and the Cons (First We Look at the Pros!)
I’ve done a great deal of projects with the help of this machine. Just yesterday I finished putting together a decent looking living room table cloth. The last couple of months, I used the machine to hem some pants, also made curtains and a handful of bibs, plus other fun stuff. I have to say, the overall performance of this sewing machine is without a doubt, impressive. My sewing skills are nothing to holler about, so I have to credit this machine for fooling people around me into thinking that I’m some kind of sewing goddess hahaha!
There are plenty of stitch functions to choose from, and the machine is capable of doing some terrific, time-saving stuff like auto needle threading and thread cutting. Also, I like the variety of sewing stitches which the manufacturer has already installed onto the machine. Now, if you plan on doing embroidering, just attach the embroidery arm and the machine’s LCD screen will show you all the embroidery options.
It’s easy to go back and forth between sewing and embroidering. Using the machine for the latter is also easy. Just consult the user guide and you’re sorted. No worries in this department.
(Now We Look at the Cons!)
In my experience, a stabilizer is a must for embroidering fabric on the Brother LB-6800PRW machine. Sometime ago, I attempted to get a few napkins embroidered and they didn’t turn out well. For your info, some reviewers claim they could get the process down pat without a stabilizer, and I think that’s pretty impressive. But if you ask me, I’d recommend you get one. However…………
The LB6800PRW with Grand Slam comes with a stabilizer (none in the standard pack)! So with the stabilizer on-hand, I could go on embroidering all day. Without one, I get frustrated…Another con is that the machine doesn’t allow me to produce 5" x 7" designs. I have some designs in mind which I think would look terrific in that size, but the Brother LB-6800PRW only allows a maximum field of 4" x 4".
Yet another con has to be mentioned here and that would be the quality of the pre-installed embroidery patterns and designs. There are dozens to choose from, but sadly, most of them are awfully bland! My advice is to go online and download some patterns onto the machine. Some are a little on the pricey side though. Free ones are also available online, but you have to fork the cash to acquire the truly eye-catching ones.
Once again, the Grand Slam package comes to the rescue. Remember I mentioned earlier that this package contains 3 discs which have been pre-loaded with 15,000 embroidery patterns and designs? So if you choose the Grand Slam, you won’t have to put up with the awfully bland looking pre-installed embroidery designs. The designs in those discs will surely keep you busy. After all, there are like 15,000 of them neatly stored in one place.
The Final Con...
Okay so, this is a Brother embroidery and sewing machine with USB port, so the latter enables you to export patterns and designs from your computer onto the machine. It’s simple, nothing fancy. However, there are times when my computer’s USB couldn’t read the sewing machine at all, even though I’ve already connected the cable properly. Mind you, my computer’s USB ports are working just fine as other USB based devices can be detected all the time.
If my computer couldn’t detect the thing, I would have to disconnect and reconnect a few times to make it work. Sure, this issue doesn’t happen often, but when it does happen, it really annoys the heck out of me.
The Epic Conclusion to the Brother Embroidery and Sewing Machine with USB Port LB-6800PRW Review!
All-in-all, this machine is worth the price. I’m particularly happy with the machine’s embroidery and sewing capabilities, its ease of use, and the user guides that came with it (both written and video instructions). The machine has a very responsive speed control feature; it works fast, and the time-saving, easy-to-use features will help you work on a nice variety of embroidering and sewing projects in a fun and timely manner.
As mentioned earlier, the Grand Slam Pack is currently unavailable. The standard pack might still be available though—find out via the following link.
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