Congrats on your new setup! DH is a keeper.
Before blaming the thread you may wish to try a needle with a larger eye (bigger size needle) and also see if your top tension is too tight. Those are two common reasons for breaking top thread.
But low quality thread will also cause the problem as will older cotton thread.
My favorite threads in order of frequency of use are:
Glide AND the magna glide bobbins. Since discovering the magnaglides I rarely use any other prewound and try to avoid winding my own as well. Love them! And it seems like I can quilt for a very long time between bobbin changes with them. Never have backlash or tension issues with them. Can't recommend them highly enough, they are definitely worth the extra expense IMHO. I adore Glide thread too. It is a trilobal Polyester with a shiny finish. 40 wt that looks like a 60wt when quilted. Very versatile.
Isacord embroidery thread. Another poly. Very nice.
Superior King Tut variegated I love using for Pantos or end to end where I am not doing any back tracking. King tut is a fairly heavy appearing cotton and builds up fast so I try not use it if I am doing a lot of back tracking or traveling on already stitched lines. It quilts up beautifully in a panto though. I don't like using cotton as much as synthetic because of the lint buildup in the bobbin case. I almost always end up with a blob of lint lodged in the bobbin spring area and tension issues somewhere on the quilt because of it.
Superior Bottom Line and So Fine. I will often use So Fine or Bottom line in the top when I want a finer thread. Bottom line is great in the bobbin if decide to wind your own and not spring for the magna glides but once you try them you won't ever want to use anything else.
For really fine micro work I love Invisifil, a 100wt polyester as fine as a human hair. I haven't sprung for silk yet but I am sure I will some day.
I have also used YLI threads, and if you really want to go economy there is Metro Embroidery thread. I don't like to promote it for geo-political reasons; it is made in China and I prefer to support USA or North American products (Invisifil is Canadian) but I do have a few cones and mini cones of it. It is dirt cheap and a decent thread.