The PE800 earned its reputation by being the cheapest way into a 5×7-inch embroidery field that didn't feel like a toy. A 4×4 hoop — the size on entry machines like the PE535 — caps you at palm-sized designs: a left-chest logo, a small monogram, a name. The moment you want a back-of-shirt design, a decent applique, or a hoop-and-repeat, you need 5×7. For a long time the PE800 was the only machine offering it under about $800.
That's why its discontinuation matters more than a typical model retirement. The demand didn't go anywhere — "brother embroidery machine" is still searched roughly 60,000 times a month — but the supply is now used units and clearance stock. This review is written for that reality: whether a second-hand PE800 is a smart buy, and what to get new if you'd rather not gamble on someone else's machine.
How it compares
The honest framing: the PE800 sits between the 4×4 PE535 below it and its own wireless successor, the PE900, above it. Here's the ladder, scored on the same scale.
| Machine | Field | Built-ins | Price (axis $300–1,100) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother PE800 best used value · single needle | 5×7 in | 138 | $700–780 | 8.6/10 |
| Brother PE535 single-needle | 4×4 in | 80 | $299–399 | 7.4/10 |
| Brother PE900 single-needle | 5×7 in | 193 | $899–1,000 | 8.4/10 |
| Brother SE2000 combo | 5×7 in | 193 | $1,099–1,299 | 8.0/10 |
Prices are current street/used ranges, checked 3 Jul 2026. PE800 shown at used-market price; others new.
The field, drawn to scale
Field size is the first spec that matters and the one buyers most often under-estimate. The jump from 4×4 to 5×7 isn't 75% more area on paper — it's the difference between "names and small logos" and "most of what you'll actually want to make". It's also why 4×4 machines get resold within a year: owners outgrow them, not wear them out.
Drawn to scale · 1 in = 24 pxWhere it wins, where it loses
What owners report
We read the threads so you don't have to. Each card summarises what owners in that community actually say — follow the link to read the discussion yourself.
Buyers weighing used PE800s under $1,000 worry about the discontinued status — owners in the thread reassure that parts, hoops and bobbins are still widely available and the machine keeps running for years.
Read the thread →The recurring verdict: the PE900 only really adds wireless transfer and more built-in designs. Owners who already transfer via USB see little reason to pay the premium — the stitch quality is the same.
Read the thread →A million stitches barely registers for these machines — owners routinely report high stitch counts with no issues, and treat a clean used PE800 near $700 as a fair deal rather than a risk.
Read the thread →