Quick Answer: The Brother SE2000 (about $1,299–$1,499) and Brother PE800 (about $700) embroider at an identical spec — a 5x7 inch hoop at about 650 stitches per minute, per Brother’s own published numbers. The entire price gap buys the SE2000’s sewing half (241 built-in stitches, up to 850 stitches per minute) plus Wireless LAN design transfer, not better embroidery. Buy the PE800 if you only embroider; buy the SE2000 only if you’ll genuinely use the sewing side too.
It’s easy to assume a combo machine that costs $600-800 more than a dedicated one must embroider better, too. It doesn’t. Brother’s own spec sheets put the SE2000 and PE800 at the exact same 5x7 hoop and the exact same ~650 stitches-per-minute embroidery speed — the premium you pay for the SE2000 is entirely for the sewing machine bolted onto it, not for a bigger or faster embroidery unit.
SE2000 vs PE800 at a glance
| Spec | Brother SE2000 | Brother PE800 |
|---|---|---|
| Max embroidery hoop | 5x7 in | 5x7 in |
| Embroidery speed | ~650 stitches/min | ~650 stitches/min |
| Built-in embroidery designs | 193 | 138 |
| Sewing function | Yes — 241 stitches, up to 850 stitches/min | None |
| Design transfer | USB + Wireless LAN | USB only |
| Price (street) | about $1,299–$1,499 | about $700 |
1. Brother SE2000 — Best If You Want Both Functions
Brother SE2000
- Same 5x7 inch embroidery hoop and ~650 stitches/min embroidery speed as the dedicated PE800.
- Adds a full sewing machine: 241 built-in stitches, up to 850 stitches/min sewing speed.
- Wireless LAN design transfer in addition to USB — a feature the cheaper PE800 skips entirely.
- Successor to the now-discontinued Brother SE1900, per Brother's current product listings.
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The SE2000 only makes financial sense if you’ll actually use both halves. Its embroidery side is not an upgrade over the PE800 — it’s a match. The reason to pay $600-800 more is the sewing machine riding alongside it, which is a genuinely capable unit (241 stitches is a real sewing-machine feature count, not a token gesture), not a bigger hoop or faster stitch-out. We cover the SE2000 alongside its siblings in our best sewing and embroidery machine combo roundup.
2. Brother PE800 — Best If You Only Embroider
Brother PE800
- Identical 5x7 inch hoop and ~650 stitches/min embroidery speed to the SE2000, at roughly half the price.
- No sewing function — the entire machine is built around the embroidery unit.
- USB design loading, color touchscreen, no proprietary cartridges.
- Our overall pillar pick for buyers who don't already know they need a combo.
The PE800 is the better buy for most people reading this comparison, because most people comparing these two machines are embroidery-first and already own (or don’t need) a sewing machine. You lose nothing on the embroidery side by choosing the PE800 over the SE2000 — same hoop, same speed — and you keep $600-800 in your pocket. See our full best embroidery machine roundup for how it stacks up against the rest of the single-needle lineup.
So which one should you actually buy?
Ask one question: do you already sew, or will you start? If the honest answer is no, the SE2000’s sewing half is a feature you’ll never use, and the PE800 gives you the identical embroidery hoop and speed for $600-800 less — see our best home embroidery machine guide for how both fit into a broader home lineup. If you genuinely want one machine that does both jobs — and don’t mind a bulkier embroidery-unit attachment — the SE2000 is a real sewing machine bolted to a PE800-equivalent embroidery unit, not a watered-down version of either. One naming trap to avoid while shopping: Brother’s own site now lists the older SE1900 as discontinued, with the SE2000 as its direct successor, so an SE1900 listing you find is a clearance price on an end-of-life machine, not a current bargain.
The bottom line
The Brother SE2000 and PE800 embroider identically — a 5x7 hoop at about 650 stitches per minute, per Brother’s own specs. The entire price difference buys a second machine (sewing: 241 stitches, up to 850 stitches/min) plus wireless transfer, not better embroidery. Buy the PE800 if embroidery is the whole job; buy the SE2000 only if you’ll use the sewing side too.