Brother XR3340 Sewing/Quilting Machine from Costco
 

I saw this machine at Costco (and currently through the end of October, it is $40 off - making it $139).

https://www.costco.com/Brother-XR334...100421876.html

My primary machine for quilting is an Elna 740 Excellence. However, I have recently gotten into garment sewing, and am loosely looking at getting another machine (just so I don't have to keep switching my settings on my machine). If I go for another machine, I would not want to spend more than $500 (really I don't want to go over $300).

Needless to say there aren't really any reviews on this machine (the 3 reviews on Costco are good, but none given an idea of how often they use the machine, does the machine easily handle different types of fabric, etc). My intended use for this machine is basic sewing (knit shirts, skirts, etc). I also like to sew the occasional purse, so it would be nice if this machine does not balk at the occasional thicker seam.

Has anyone bought a Brother sewing machine from Costco? Or perhaps bought this particular one?

I am so tempted, for $139, to buy the machine because of Costco's amazing return policy. I'm not buying it intending to return it - but if it doesn't work well, if I find there is a feature missing that I need, etc - I know I can return it.

Thoughts?

About 10 years ago or so I got a similar Brother from Costco. It worked very well for me for what I wanted to do, which was have a lightweight machine to take to classes/sewing at my friend's house. I used it for several hundred hours over about 5-7 years and then I started to have issues with the bobbin case. Hard to explain but the entire casing unit would "jump" out of place and get jammed up.

I no longer do garment construction, when I did use it for clothing repairs, it did not handle thick seams/jeans well -- but that was a different model from years ago.

I did a little looking but I didn't find the answer yet, for my model the Costco model number was very slightly different from the standard model.

I do know that the two Brother authorized places I took it to were rather rude and indifferent to my issues. Basically they were both unwilling to help me find the correct bobbins or anything else since I just got a "cheap disposable machine".

I'm still quite happy with the use I got from it, found another similar Brother at the Goodwill still in the box and everything from my first machine (including the quilting bed) fits and works with it just fine so I'm not anti-Brother.

I bought a lightweight Brother, not the same model, but similar. I bought it for retreats and sew days and it does fine. Not sure it does seams on jeans but otherwise I'd say check it out--with the Costco return policy get it home and try out one of those jeans seams and if it doesn't work, take it back.

There is more information on Amazon if you want.

Never thought I'd ever buy a sewing machine online and from Costco no less but I did. I got their XR3140 which is similar to the XR3340, in fact looks pretty much the same. I liked the machine so much I bought another one for a gentleman I'm teaching how to make a quilt. I keep mine mainly for adding binding and long borders to my quilts and keep it on one end of the cutting table. Have had it over a year now and have had no problems with it. I did order a Babylock 1/4" with a guard foot for it as sometimes I piece with it too. Can't beat the price.

I did pick one up (haven't taken it out of the box). But in the meantime, I was in a local sewing machine shop today, to see about servicing my as my primary machine (Elna 740 Excellence) as fabric seems to be pulled to the left when I sew. Meanwhile, I started playing on other machines. Specifically a Brother project runway model (which had a very nice feel) and a Pfaff 4.2 Expression. Just wow to the Pfaff!! I guess this model is getting ready to go away. Sales price is $1799, and I can get 0% financing for 24 months. My husband said, you should do it! But, I didn't go into the shop to buy a new machine (and I don't want to spend that amount of $$ without seeing what my other options might be). Because while I have loved my Elna - it doesn't feel like that Pfaff did. And the stitch quality isn't as nice. But I really do want to see what my options are. I have been wanting to test drive a Babylock.

Meanwhile, I did want to try the Costco Brother - because I could use a 2nd working machine in the interim and it doesn't break the bank. I'll post back my thoughts on it though, in case anyone ends up searching for reviews on it. Perhaps my better option would be getting a mid-range machine that I use for sewing (clothes) and I could also use for piecing, and I keep my Elna for FMQ (and piecing). I hear great things about the Juki F600. But - I don't think I can try/buy that one locally.

Many things to think about now since I would have my DH's blessing to move forward with an upgraded machine if I chose to!!

I have several Costco/Walmart type Brother machines. Some newer and some older. The older ones feel heavier but, I have never had a lick of trouble from any of them. I can sew fake fur, fleece, thick fabric, etc. Never a tension issue. I couldn't be more pleased with them for piecing or garment sewing. One of them I used to use for FMQ, stitch length to zero since the feed dogs didn't drop. It worked just fine except for the limited quilting area.

Don't you just hate it when you get attitude for having an inexpensive machine? I sure do! I have two inexpensive Brother machines that do very well for the kind of sewing I do (blouses, baby things, runners, wall hangings, lap-size quilts), and at least I am not intimidated by instructions that I cannot comprehend. If I needed to, I could buy 4 of these for what 1 of 'those' costs, plus my Brothers came with all the feet. I bought one on-line and the other from Walmart.

So I tested out this little machine last night. I was surprised that it felt sturdy, despite it being so light. When stitching there was a very solid feel, which made me thing it probably could easily handle some heavier fabrics (though I didn't test that). The stitches were nice, I didn't have too much trouble setting it up. But I knew pretty quickly that this was not a machine for me, even as a back up.

While I did get it threaded, the fact that the hook race was buried back in the machine so you can't see much of it, even when in the highest position, makes it difficult to be sure you have connected with it. It was fiddly getting the thread behind the little bar above the needle. I did manage to get the threader to work after a few tries. I did like the bobbin set up, and that I did not need to pull up the bobbin thread. I got a bobbin wound easily.

If all I wanted it for was a back up for piecing, I might have considered keeping it. But I am also into sewing. I didn't like how the line markings were at the back of the needle plate and not carried over onto the front, which makes it a bit more difficult when starting a seam to know you are on the line (unless you want to start 1/2", give or take, from the edge of the fabric so that you can line your fabric up). Also, I like to work with knits, which I use a zig zag stitch. I could only go down to 1.5 on the width (I prefer 1.0). The resulting stitch was actually kind of pretty, seemed like a pretty scallop almost. But that isn't what I always want when top stitching. Lastly I noticed that the needle plate area was slightly raised from the bed of the machine. Were I to try free motion quilting something small, I think that would be bothersome. Probably bothersome in other instances as well.

Lastly, it doesn't have a thread cutter (yes, I knew that before I picked it up). If I had like the machine otherwise, I could let that feature go. But having other qualms, I'm not willing to give that up as well (yes, I guess that makes me spoiled).

Those were my impressions, in case anyone else is searching for reviews on a Costco machine. I do think it would probably be a good little machine, but I also think I am looking for something else.

Dawn, thanks for the updates!
I was looking at this machine for a back-up/starter machine for myself and my daughter. I have a nice little Bernina that does just about everything I ask it to. I was interested in this one for some of the decorative stitches and the fact that it seemed much lighter when I was messing about with it at the store last night.
I may drag one home and mess with it to see if I can live with the missing thread cutter and wonky threading system enough to make it useful. I also need to see if the bobbins are the same size. If not, I may pass. I really don't want two sets of bobbins to keep track of.
Our school secretary said she bought one very much like it 5 years ago from Costco and has been very happy with hers.
Thank you all again for your reviews! I'll try to remember to come back in and post the bobbin sizes.