Brother XR1300 Review In Detail

Brother XR1300 is a computerized sewing machine. It has 130 built-in stitches which include utility, decorative, quilting, heirloom and 8 one-step buttonhole stitches. Being a computerized machine, you will always expect user-friendly features. For the ease of use, Brother XR1300 has an automatic needle threader, top drop-in bobbin and large backlit LCD screen. Stitch selection can be done with push buttons. The optimal stitch settings can be overridden using the buttons. The maximum stitch width is 7mm and length is 5mm. This machine has a motor that can deliver 850 stitches/min. The motor is pretty much of the standard you get in most computerized sewing machines.

LED lighting illuminates the work space for you. You can use this machine without the foot controller (all computerized machines can be). The start/stop button and speed control slider lets you do that. The slow speed setting on the speed control slider sews really slow (trust me), it will be a handy feature if you are teaching your kid. Drop feed option on Brother XR1300 lets you do free motion quilting. Quilters can use it for making free hand designs. But the free motion quilting foot needs to be bought separately. The box comes with a Spring action quilting foot though. Included feet are Buttonhole foot, Overcasting foot, Monogramming foot, Zipper foot, Zigzag foot, Blind stitch foot, Button fitting foot and Spring action quilting foot. You can store all these accessories in a built-in storage compartment (don't expect it to be huge, just good enough to store most of your accessories). Even with all these features, Brother XR1300 is very lightweight. It weighs just 13.2 lbs. The machine comes with 25 year limited warranty. You will also get an extra wide table.

Ease of Use

Buttonhole stitching is a breeze on Brother XR1300. There is a safety mechanism on the machine which prevents sewing if the foot is not lowered. The quality of this machine is such that it sews through denim like a breeze. It can sew through 8 layers of denim with ease. The machine operates quite smoothly, there is no vibration or anything like that. One thing we are really impressed with XR1300 is the ease with which it sews through heavy fabrics. The factory set tension is perfect and you don't need to adjust it at all (in most cases).

The feeding mechanism on this machine is excellent. It ensures consistent stitch quality throughout the project. The machine will always recommend the presser foot to use for a particular stitch (which is also another useful feature). The extra wide table that comes with this machine is really useful for large quilting projects.

Drawbacks

The sewing light is slightly dim.

No font for monogramming.

Pros

•    Great machine for quilting
•    Works exceptionally well on heavy duty fabrics
•    User friendly
•    Wide table
•    Lightweight

Cons

•    Slightly dim worklight
•    No monogram font

Editor Comments

Brother XR1300 won't stall on thick fabrics, which gives you some idea about the quality that it can offer. The machine operates quietly and smoothly on both thin and thick fabrics. It is an easy to use sewing machine.