Reviews · Best budget pick
Brother XM2701 review: the machine for finding out if you like sewing
A real machine at a low price, with a clear account of the day you will outgrow it.
By Michael W. · Published
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Most people buying a first sewing machine are not sure they will still be sewing in a year. That is a completely reasonable position, and the Brother XM2701 is the machine built for it: cheap enough that abandoning the hobby is not a financial event, but equipped well enough that the machine itself will never be the reason you gave up.
That second half is the part that matters. There is a whole tier below this one full of machines that skip stitches, jam on two layers of cotton and teach beginners that they are bad at sewing. The XM2701 is the floor of the range where machines actually work.
What it shares with machines costing much more
An automatic needle threader. A drop-in, top-loading bobbin under a clear cover. A one-step buttonhole. Those three features are the ones beginners miss most, and finding all three at this level is genuinely unusual - the Singer M1500 and Singer Start 1304 in the same bracket have none of them.
Six presser feet are included, which covers zippers, buttonholes, buttons, blind hems and general sewing. You will not need to buy a foot for the first year.
What you give up
No speed limiter. On a light machine this matters less than it does on the Singer Heavy Duty line, but it is still the feature a nervous beginner notices missing in the first hour.
No wide table, so quilting is cramped. And 27 stitches sounds like plenty until you want a specific stretch stitch for jersey and find the machine does not have it.
XM2701 or GX37?
Brother sells the GX37 alongside the XM2701 and the two are close enough to be interchangeable. The GX37 has 37 stitches to the XM2701's 27; the extra ten are decorative. Everything that affects how the machine sews is the same.
Our advice is unromantic: compare the two on the day and buy whichever is cheaper. Neither choice is a mistake.
The budget shortlist
Two machines, one decision: buy the cheaper one now, or buy the one you will keep.
Brother XM2701
A threader, a drop-in bobbin and a one-step buttonhole at the bottom of the sensible range.
Skip it if You already know you will sew every week, or you want speed control and a quilting table.
Brother CS7000X
The machine you would not replace: speed slider, wide table, seventy stitches.
Skip it if You want physical dials instead of a menu, or you will be sewing canvas, upholstery or leather regularly.
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The machine in full
Best budget pick
Brother XM2701
The find-out-if-I-actually-like-this machine.
- 27 stitches, one-step buttonhole
- Automatic needle threader, drop-in bobbin
- 6 presser feet included
- Light enough to carry to a class
- Get it if
- You are not sure sewing will stick and you want a real, capable machine without spending what a better one costs.
- Skip it if
- You already know you will sew every week, or you want speed control and a quilting table.
The trade-off
Lightweight and basic. It does everything a beginner needs - buttonholes, zippers, hems - but you will outgrow it sooner than the CS7000X.
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How the Brother XM2701 scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 9/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 7/10
- Thick fabric
- 5/10
- Beginner features
- 7/10
- Durability reputation
- 6/10
- Help for this exact model
- 9/10
Overall 7.3/10
Questions beginners actually ask
Is the Brother XM2701 a good beginner sewing machine?
Yes, with one condition: buy it because you are not yet sure sewing will stick. It has the automatic threader, drop-in bobbin and one-step buttonhole that beginners actually miss, and it is cheap. If you already know you will sew weekly, the CS7000X is the machine you will not replace.
Can the Brother XM2701 sew denim?
A single hem with a denim needle, yes. Regular denim work, no - it is a light plastic-bodied machine and it will shift on the table at thick seams. For jeans and canvas the Singer Heavy Duty 4423 is the right tool.
What is the difference between the Brother XM2701 and the GX37?
Ten decorative stitches. Everything that affects how the machine sews is identical - same threader, same drop-in bobbin, same one-step buttonhole, same six feet. Buy whichever is cheaper on the day.
Does the Brother XM2701 have a speed control?
No. Speed is controlled entirely by the foot pedal. If a speed-limiting slider matters to you - and for a nervous beginner it often does - the CS7000X has one.
Sources
Specifications are taken from manufacturer listings. We do not run a test lab and never claim to - how each machine is assessed is set out on our methodology page.