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The Brother XM3700 is a mechanical machine with 37 built-in stitches — *not* the 74 in Brother's own product title, which counts stitch functions — one auto-size buttonhole, an automatic needle threader, a drop-in bobbin, a 7 mm maximum stitch width, a built-in LED light and a 25-year limited warranty, at $149.99. On stitches per dollar it is the best mechanical Brother sells. It includes only five presser feet and no dust cover.
The ranking
Quick picks
Ranked against the published criteria below. Tap a row to jump to the full write-up; the price button goes straight to Amazon.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brother XM3700 Sewing Machine 37 stitches at the cheap end, with the threader kept | 37 built-in stitches, 74 stitch functions | 8.1/10 |
37 stitches at the cheap end, with the threader kept
Brother XM3700 Sewing Machine
Brother's best-value mechanical on stitch count per dollar — 37 stitches, an automatic threader, a drop-in bobbin and an LED light at $149.99. Its own product title overstates the stitch count, and we untangle that below.
The XM3700 is the machine that makes Brother's bottom end confusing, and once you sort out the numbers it is also the best value in it. At $149.99 on Brother's own list it publishes 37 built-in stitches, an automatic needle threader, a drop-in bobbin, a 7 mm maximum stitch width, a built-in LED light and a 25-year limited warranty. That is a lot of specification for the money.
Start with the number problem, because Brother created it. The product title on Brother's own page reads 'XM3700 Sewing Machine with Free Arm & 74 Built-in Stitches'. The machine does not have 74 built-in stitches. Brother's specification field says 37, and the product description says '37 stitches and 74 stitch functions'. A stitch function is a stitch at a particular width or length setting, so one built-in stitch can yield several functions. The honest figure is 37 stitches, 74 functions, and we are recording the discrepancy because a buyer comparing that title against a machine advertising 60 or 70 actual stitches is being misled by the manufacturer, not by the competition.
With that cleared up, the comparison that matters is against the GX37, which Brother also lists at $149.99 with 37 stitches. Both keep the automatic threader and the drop-in bobbin. The GX37 includes six presser feet and a dust cover; the XM3700 includes five feet and no cover, but adds a built-in LED work light and a wider 7 mm stitch. Which is the better buy comes down to whether you would rather have the cover and the sixth foot or the light and the wider zigzag. We would take the GX37 for a first machine on the strength of the cover, and the XM3700 if you sew in poor light.
Against the cheaper end of Brother's range the case is clearer. The XM2701 is 27 stitches at the same $149.99 list, so the XM3700 is simply ten stitches better for the same money. The LX3817 at $99 and the XM1010 both drop to manual needle threading, which is the one downgrade we consistently advise against — the cheap-machine question goes through why.
What it is not is a machine for thick fabric or for varied buttonholes. Brother lists adjustable presser foot pressure as 'No', there is no walking foot, and there is a single buttonhole style. Five presser feet is the thinnest accessory set of any Brother at this price that still threads its own needle, so budget for the feet you find you need rather than assuming they are in the box.
We have not sewn on this machine. Everything above is Brother's own published specification, read on 27 September 2026 and cited below, and the price on the button is live from Amazon rather than anything we typed.
What works
- 37 built-in stitches for $149.99 — the same count as the GX37 at the same list price, and ten more than the XM2701
- Keeps the automatic needle threader and the drop-in bobbin, which is the line that separates a machine a beginner sticks with from one that goes back in the box
- A 7 mm maximum stitch width, matching machines at twice the price and wider than most mechanicals at this money
- A built-in LED work light, which the cheaper LX3817 and XM1010 do not publish
- Free arm / flat bed convertible, plus built-in accessory storage
- A 25-year limited warranty and 858 units in stock on Brother's own store
What does not
- Brother's own product title says '74 Built-in Stitches'. It has 37. The 74 figure is stitch *functions* — the specification field and the description both say 37 stitches, 74 functions. The title is misleading and we are flagging it rather than repeating it
- Five presser feet — the fewest of any Brother at this price except the mending machines. No walking foot, no quarter-inch foot, no non-stick foot
- One buttonhole style, so varied garment buttons are out of scope
- No screen. Stitch selection is a dial, which is legible but tells you nothing about the width and length the machine has actually selected
- Adjustable presser foot pressure: 'No' — not a denim or canvas machine
- 12.5 lb with no hard case or dust cover listed in the carton, so it needs a cupboard shelf and something to keep the lint out
The kit it pairs with: Universal needles in 80/12 and 90/14, extra bobbins, a dust cover — Brother does not include one — and a walking foot if quilting is on the horizon.
First, the number on the box is wrong
Brother's own product page titles this machine 'XM3700 Sewing Machine with Free Arm & 74 Built-in Stitches'. The machine does not have 74 built-in stitches.
Brother's specification field says 37. Brother's own product description says '37 stitches and 74 stitch functions'. A stitch function is a built-in stitch at a particular width or length setting, so a single stitch can yield several functions, and manufacturers across this category count them when it flatters the listing. The honest figure is 37 built-in stitches.
We are spending three paragraphs on this because of what it does to a buyer. Someone comparing a '74 stitch' machine at $149.99 against a genuine 60-stitch CS5055 at $169.99 would conclude the cheaper machine has more stitches, when it has 23 fewer. The misleading number is the manufacturer's, not a retailer's, and it is the single most useful thing to know before buying this machine. This is not unique to Brother either — SINGER's M1500 is sold as '57 stitch applications' on six built-in stitches, which our review of it unpicks the same way.
What the machine actually is, and it is good value
With the number sorted out, this is a genuinely strong specification for $149.99. Thirty-seven real built-in stitches, an automatic needle threader, a drop-in top bobbin, a 7 mm maximum stitch width, a 5 mm maximum stitch length, up to 800 stitches per minute, a free arm / flat bed convertible surface, built-in accessory storage, a built-in LED work light and a 25-year limited warranty.
Two of those deserve emphasis. The automatic needle threader and drop-in bobbin together are the line this site keeps drawing, because threading the needle and seating the bobbin are the two jobs that make people give up. Brother's cheaper LX3817 at $99 and XM1010 both drop to manual threading, and whether cheap machines are worth it is mostly a question about this one specification.
The other is the 7 mm maximum stitch width, which matches the CS7000X, the CP100X and the CS7205 — machines at nearly twice the price. Stitch width decides how wide a satin stitch or a zigzag can be, which matters for appliqué and for finishing a raw edge without a serger. Most mechanicals at this money stop at 5 mm.
The comparison that decides it: GX37 or XM3700
Brother lists both at $149.99, both with 37 stitches, and both with an automatic needle threader and a drop-in bobbin. We re-read both pages on 27 September 2026 to be sure the prices were the same day, and they were. So the decision is narrow and specific.
Compiled from Brother USA's own product pages for all three machines, all read on 27 September 2026.
Read that table and the choice is: the GX37's dust cover, sixth presser foot and two-and-a-half fewer pounds, against the XM3700's LED light and 7 mm stitch width. Both are defensible. We would take the GX37 for a first machine, because a cover is what keeps a machine out on a table instead of collecting lint in a cupboard, and lint is the root of a surprising share of the tension problems people cannot explain later. We would take the XM3700 if you sew in poor light, or if a wide satin stitch is something you actually want.
Against the XM2701, also $149.99, the XM3700 is simply ten stitches better for identical money, and it is a full pound lighter. There is no case for the XM2701 at the same price unless the sixth presser foot is decisive.
What you are giving up at this price
- Five presser feet — zigzag, buttonhole, zipper, button sewing and blind stitch. That is the thinnest set of any Brother at this price that still threads its own needle. No walking foot, no quarter-inch foot, no non-stick foot.
- One buttonhole style. Fine for repairs and simple garments; a real limit if you sew clothes with varied buttons. One-step versus four-step explains why at least having the one-step mechanism matters.
- No screen. A dial is legible and has nothing to fail, but it will not tell you the width and length the machine has selected. Mechanical versus computerized sets out the trade honestly.
- No adjustable presser foot pressure and no metal needle plate published — so not a denim, canvas or upholstery machine. The denim roundup covers what is.
- No case or cover of any kind in the carton, unlike the GX37.
Who should buy it
Buy it if you want the most real stitches for $149.99 and you sew where the light is bad. Thirty-seven stitches, a 7 mm width, an automatic threader, a drop-in bobbin and an LED light is a lot of machine for the money, and 858 units were in stock on Brother's own store when we checked. It is a sound choice for hemming, mending, simple garments, craft work and household sewing.
Buy the GX37 instead if this is a first machine and you value the dust cover and the lighter body — it is the same price with the same threader and bobbin. Do not buy it for quilting or thick fabric, and do not buy it because the title says 74 stitches. It has 37, and 37 is still the best count at this price.
We have not sewn on this machine. We do not own it, there is no test bench here, and we are not going to describe a stitch we never made. What we did instead: read the manufacturer's published specification line by line, cite every figure to the page it came from, and price the whole setup — machine and the kit it still needs — so you know what starting actually costs.
Method
How we picked
- Compiled every specification from Brother's own XM3700 product page, read 27 September 2026 — stitch count, stitch functions, buttonhole styles, the full presser foot list, threading and bobbin systems, maximum speed, stitch width and length, work light, accessory storage, weight, dimensions and warranty.
- Caught and corrected the manufacturer's own product title. Brother's page is titled '74 Built-in Stitches' while its specification field says 37 and its description says '37 stitches and 74 stitch functions'. We report the 37 and explain the gap rather than repeating the larger number.
- Re-read the GX37 and XM2701 pages the same day to confirm all three genuinely list at $149.99 before building a same-price comparison on it.
- Recorded Brother's own stock count — 858 units, orderable — and verified a buyable Amazon offer with a title matching brand and model before featuring it.
- Wrote 'Not published' wherever Brother publishes nothing, including the GX37's stitch width and LED light.
- Scored against the published formula on how we pick: first-setup ease 30%, stitch range 15%, presser feet 15%, warranty 10%, portability 10%, price-to-spec 20%. Price-to-spec is where it scores highest and presser feet lowest.
- Pulled the price live from Amazon. The list prices in prose are Brother's own, attributed and dated.
We have not sewn on these machines. There is no test bench here, we do not own them, and we do not accept free product. Everything above is compiled from published manufacturer specifications and live retailer data — and we tell you which is which on every claim. Our full method.
Answers
Questions people ask
How many stitches does the Brother XM3700 have?
Is the Brother XM3700 or GX37 better?
Is the Brother XM3700 good for beginners?
Can the Brother XM3700 sew denim?
Does the Brother XM3700 come with a case?
How much does the Brother XM3700 weigh?
Where this came from
Sources
- Brother USA — XM3700 product page, specifications, stitch and stitch-function counts, carton contents, warranty, list price and 858-unit stock (checked 27 September 2026)
- Brother USA — GX37 product page, for the same-day same-price comparison (checked 27 September 2026)
- Brother USA — XM2701 product page, for the same-day same-price comparison (checked 27 September 2026)
About the author
Scooter M.
An enthusiast who is genuinely into this. I read the manuals, compile the published specs, and do the arithmetic. No lab coat, no test bench, and no machines I am pretending to have used — which is exactly why every claim here carries a source.
Published by Slate Mill Group. Published September 27, 2026; last updated September 27, 2026. Editorial policy.
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