Customer Reviews

Brother XR9000 Sewing Machine

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The XR9000 is very lightweight, I don't know if that makes it less robust or not- it seems pretty sturdy but I would not use it for leather. The sewing mechanism is wonderful- very quiet and soft, like cutting through butter. Foot pedal is responsive and the speed limit slider works great. There's also a button control but for whatever weird reason you can not use the start/stop button while the pedal is plugged in; I don't foresee that button getting a lot of use.
There's a reverse/reinforce button which unfortunately is a temporary switch only- not a toggle. It can be used in conjunction with the foot pedal or you just hold the button down and it will go in reverse at a slow speed.

Several extra presser feet are included, e.g. buttonhole, buttonstitch, zipper, blind hem. The one thing I am missing is a quilting guide. There's a slot for it in the foot but it has to be purchased separately. While the accessories are fine, the accessory storage is not. There's a front panel section that you have to pull out and then inside there's a plastic pouch with all the goodies. You have to keep the stuff in the pouch or they'll fall out of the machine. For $0.20 more Brother could have added a proper compartment with a hinge- instead they took a very cheap and impractical storage approach.

Lighting is provided by a bright but focussed white LED. I am somewhat spoiled by having a high wattage light bulb in the previous machine which lit up the entire working area. The XR9000 LED lights up the presser foot really well but that's about it. The "automatic needle threading" is not automatic, but still extremely useful (I keep missing the eye when trying to do it manually).

Even though I wound 3 bobbins I still can't tell whether the machine has an automatic stopping mechanism or just slows down a lot once the bobbin is full. Either way you can run the winding at full speed for a minute and it's quite noticeable once it's complete. The bobbins are full-size and top-loading. There's a somewhat tricky part about catching a hook when loading the bobbin which is not well explained in the manual. The first time I missed that which resulted in unbalanced stitches; reloading the bobbin more carefully took care of it. Another nice feature is that you don't have to pull up the lower thread before you can start to sew.

The stitch patterns are plentiful and half of them look quite nice. The other half has weird default settings where the default stitch length is too long, you can adjust that in the display but it still strikes me as odd. The monogramming feature works- it's fixed size, fixed font and does not look all that great. The XR9000 does not have any adjustable settings for presser foot height or pressure. However, the included default presser foot has some kind of spring adjustment built in which is supposed to help with thick fabric layers. I have not had a chance to try it out yet. The manual and instructional DVD are great and cover all the essentials.

EDIT- 2 months later: I have been having problems with thin fabric veering off to the side which made it impossible to do blind hems or other straight stitches with tight tolerances. For 2 months I thought this was me using it wrong until I brought it to a local store. As it turns out the machine shipped with some defects- the shank was slightly angled and the feed dog timing was off. Repair was $60 and came with a warning by the mechanic that the Brother machines are not particulaly reliable due to lack of solid metal construction. Machine loses 1 star for this and the fact that Brother does not have many authorized service centers.

I've used this machine to make lots of crafts and a full sized log cabin quilt with stippling. The top drop bobbin is easy to thread and the bobbin winder is simple to use. The extra feet and longer arm quilting table are wonderful extras. The font is nothing amazing but works nice for simple monogramming. I like that you can drop the feed dogs and free motion quilt. It is a low shank machine and I was able to get a generic walking foot for it. The backlit lcd screen is very nice and easy to read - not too dim or too small. The best feature though is the automatic start/stop, needle up/down, and reverse stitch buttons. I haven't even used the foot pedal!

I have been sewing for nearly 50 years and had not bought a new machine for almost 30 years. That one cost me, even then, three times what this one did and it can't do a fraction of the functions of this or as well. What impresses me the most is the even sewing on both sides of the fabric, that it can go over thick spots such as seam junctions without skipping stitches, and the array of buttonholes it can make. It can also take the specialty threads on the market -- thick and thin -- without shredding or skipping. It does have a few drawbacks, however. As another reviewer said, it has a low shank so it is hard to start sewing in a thick area without dropping the feed dogs. It also has a long needle screw which protrudes out far enough into the bed that it is easy to whack your finger when the machine is running if you have to hold something close to the presser foot. The bed is not very long so sewing large or thick items such as draperies or upholstery is difficult to get through the opening. It also does not have a right needle position, but the ability to select a starting position (left or center), or up or down, is very nice and easy to change with different applications. The User Manual is very complete and has a good index. Brother Xr9000 Computerized Sewing Machine, Which Offers 80 Built-in Utility(xr-9000)

I loved this machine at first. It was smooth, quiet, and I love the speed control for applique.
My issues are:
Straight line sewing seems to be a slight problem. I have to fight a little to keep my fabrics feeding thru straight. It doesn't matter which feet I use, I change feet, thread, and needles according to what the manual says for whatever I'm sewing. If I wear my quilting gloves for regular straight sewing it's a little easier. But I never had to do that with my old machine.
My second issue is skipped stitches. This just started happening a couple of weeks ago, and I have done everything the manual suggested. I have cleaned the bobbin case (it was pretty dusty), I have made sure my needle is inserted properly and the machine is threaded properly. I make sure I have the right needle, foot, etc for what I'm sewing. It still skips stitches, even on my applique now.
Today I am going back to my old singer. I live in the boonies and it is a full day to drive to and from a place that can service my machine. I am going to call brother customer service and hope they will be able to help, but I do not want to pay expensive shipping or repair charges for an inexpensive machine like this. I may end up donating it to my trash can and buying the more expensive machine I wanted in the first place.
Bummer!

9/19 Additional Info: I still have this machine and use it mainly for taking to workshops and retreats since it is so incredibly light. The skipped stitches issue seems to have resolved itself, except on thicker things, like applique (I have tried a variety of needles recommended for applique). The straight sewing issue is better too, so maybe I just had to get used to the machine. With thicker layers though (binding, etc), the fabric still wants to suck in to the left under the presser foot and I still need to fight a little to keep it straight. I love the light weight and ease of transport of this machine though, and am getting used to the quirks of the machine. I purchased the Hemline Floral Sewing Machine Tote Bag and the machine fits great inside with room to spare.

I've purchased two of these. The first one I had came with a defect. It wouldn't sew straight. The presser foot and feed dogs kept pulling the fabric through at a severe angle. I confirmed that it wasn't just something I was doing wrong by reading through the manual and checking with my local sewing and vacuum shop. I exchanged it and got the same model. I figured I just got a bad one and wanted to give it another try due to good ratings. Unfortunatley, I'm returning my 2nd one tonight and do not plan on buying another lower-end Brother machine. I decided to take up quilting and have been working on my first quilt. My second machine was just fine for a couple of small projects I did, but once I put the walking foot on and went to my quilting, something went wrong. Something with the upper thread tension broke, and now it doesn't matter whether I'm sewing a quilt or on one layer a fabric. I've tried putting it on every number (0 through 9), and this seems to have no affect. The top thread is so loose, I can pull it out after sewing and loops from the bottom thread come up through the top. I've been through the manual and tried everything. I've changed my needle, my thread, rethreaded multiple times, etc. Nothing seems to work. So I'll be returning this and I'm planning to spend the extra few hundred dollars to buy a Juki machine instead.

My conclusion:
This is probably a fine little machine for the price if you're a light sewer. I'm not. I do a lot of home decor type sewing, bunting, and various other home projects. I've just started quilting, and I think that's where I went wrong. Even though it comes with the necessary features to quilt, I don't think it's made for that kind of a project. I don't think this would do well with any heavy-duty project (upholstery, denim, leather, quilting, etc). So if you're looking to do some of those bigger projects, save yourself the time and spend a little more to get a sturdier machine.

Ok so here's the deal people. You're paying $179.00 for a sewing machine. A more top-end version which retails $400ish dollars where I have seen it elsewhere. You can't even go to Wal-Mart to get a better machine.

I'm a beginner, but have studied and tried to determine the best machine for me. I almost wasted $100 at Wal-Mart to get the best one they had. I looked elsewhere, and couldn't find anything nice under $200. When I stumbled across this on Amazon and the fact Amazon sells it (amazing customer service and policies) I felt safer ordering it here than a refurbished machine on the ebay.

Take my word for it, if you're at home on your kitchen table sewing, this doohickey is right for you! If you're doing this to make money, you probably should be looking at more industrial machines anyway!

That's all I've got to say! Enjoy!

I have had this sewing machine for over a year now, and I am now ready to give a review.
The Brother XL9000 has been a huge surprise. It's a real work horse (given how light it is). My crazy sewing habits have been rewarded, as I have am put everything from heavy canvas, leather. paper, card board, tin and denim through this machine. For the most part I use it to make upcycled projects, so I require a machine that could take a lot of "abuse". I am happy. Also, I have sewn a few clothing items---with nice results.
The machine is easy to use, comes with cd and online support, and easy access to the 80 stitches. I am able to mono gram a few items and quickly. Plus, the quick and ease of bobbin threading is a wonderful benefit.
Having the ability to quilt a small quilt and the use of a wider bed has certainly encouraged me to push myself with crafting.
On another note, I taught my granddaughter how to sew on this machine, with the three speed stitching. This function allowed for a slower stitching that match her skill.
Over time, I bought the additional attachments,giving me a full functioning machine that does an excellent job for the price.

I love this machine! Light weight and more stitches a novice sewer, like myself, will ever need.Now if i just had the time to try all the stitches and embroidery.
My only complaints are that it does not handle layers of fabric well, even with a denim needle. I found if I put it on the lowest sewing speed it does much better. But I still sometimes get the Error message. The monogramming function is less then what I expected. The letters are small and too boxy.
The computerized stitching makes changing stitches a snap,and I have actually changed stitches while sewing the same project with no problems.It even tells you what foot you should be using,and automatically sets the width, and length. Or you can do it manually.The tension has yet to be a problem, it is easy to adjust. And the auto needle threader is great,once you get the knack of using it.
The XR9000 is great for a beginner like myself. The price for a refurbished one was within my budget, but If you can afford a new one in the box, go for it.
I wanted an embroidery machine originally, but they are so pricey.With the embroidery foot ,purchased separately, and a little practice, I think I'll be OK! Maybe I'll be able afford the Project Runway machine one day, the XR9000 is all the machine I need right now.

I first bought this machine at costco. It seemed like such a great deal. From the very start, it didn't sew straight. It pulled the fabric to the side. I brought it back. I thought maybe it was just defective. Bought it again through Amazon.com and it did the very same thing straight out of the box. Don't be fooled by all the stitches and whistles this machine seems to have, it can't do the most basic thing - sew straight! I returned it to Amazon.com and went to a sewing center nearby who let me test out the machines before buying. I purchased a Janome DC3050 and it's a great machine. It was more expensive and only had 50 stiches but it feels sturdy, sews great and most of all - sews straight!

My husband gave this sewing machine to me for Christmas last year. I wasn't sure that I would use it much but once I started I've been sewing all year. It is so easy to use; easy to thread, easy to wind the bobbin and even easy to clean. I've been making baby quilts so I leave the quilting attachment table on all the time which I think is a great feature. It is lightweight and portable and quiet. I just love it!