What you’ll quickly discover from my recommendations for sewing machines with automatic thread cutter is that these types of models that include this particular function are absolutely not cheap.
For example, while the very cheap Brother CS6000i Sewing and Quilting Machine is an amazing machine with automatic needle threader and even an electronic variable speed control slider, it lacks the automatic thread cutter.
Still, if your budget is under $200 and you decide to give up on this particular feature of an automatic thread cutter, I recommend checking out models like the Brother CS6000i or the Singer MX231.
Or heavy-duty models like the Brother ST150HDH or the Singer Heavy Duty 4432 that are some of the best sewing machines for leather or for making clothes from whatever types of fabrics you want. These heavy duty ones will handle them.
The automatic needle threader has become a feature that is only lacking in sewing machines under $100. However, if you go above that low limit, you’ll pretty much find it everywhere.
On the other hand, sewing machines with automatic thread cutter are so much harder to find.
I guess they’re as hard to find as large throat sewing machines for quilting.
The interesting thing is that this spec is actually more easily found among sewing & quilting machines. I’ll also include a few recommendations for sewing & embroidery machines for those who are interested in the two crafts combined.
Sewing Machines With Automatic Thread Cutter Reviews
Since I’ve mentioned that these types of models with this particular feature are not exactly cheap, let’s talk prices.
Let’s start with my favorite.
This is the Janome New Home 49360. It’s not only my favorite because it’s pretty affordable everything considered but also because it’s such an amazing model. You’ll see what I’m talking about if you read my review below. For now, I will mention that its price will be around $500-$600, which is very good.
The cheapest sewing machines with automatic thread cutter are Brother SE600 Sewing and Embroidery Machine and the Singer 9960 Sewing & Quilting Machine with prices around $400-$500. Indeed, these two are not extraordinarily expensive but they’re not cheap either. Brother and Singer for the win.
The other two models that cost under $1,000 are the Brother PQ1500SL and the JUKI TL-2000Qi. They’re both sewing & quilting machines and they both cost around $700. Both also have quite a similar design. I guess I prefer the JUKI TL-2000Qi if I were to choose between these two.
Last but not least, thanks to the Brother SE2000 Combo Sewing and Embroidery Machine we’re immediately transported to prices around $1,500. It’s pretty clear what type of sewers will be interested in this particular Brother model.
Now, let’s do a more in-depth analysis for all these machines so that you can see which might fit your needs and projects.
1. Janome New Home 49360: The Best Sewing Machine with Automatic Thread Cutter
As I’ve already mentioned, the Janome 49360 is absolutely one of my favorite sewing machines with automatic thread cutter. And this is not the only occasion in which it was one of my top recommendations.
It was also a favorite when I wrote my reviews for drop-in bobbin sewing machines.
And it’s a top recommendation as the best sewing machine for denim.
Automatic thread cutter
It is called a memorized automatic thread cutter.
You’ll easily see the automatic thread cutter because it is identified by a scissor-looking button. The control panel for this Janome is very straightforward, even for people who are not very tech-savvy and for people who don’t want touchscreens and things like that.
We press this scissor-icon button to trim the threads automatically after sewing. Press the thread cutter button until the thread cutter sign appears on the tiny screen that this Janome 49360 comes with.
The machine will automatically stop and trim the threads after locking stitches when the reverse or auto-lock button is pressed.
The cutter thread sign will blink while the machine cuts the threads.
Moreover, you should know that you can continue sewing without pulling the bobbin thread up after trimming the threads.
You can find all this info in the user manual.
Even if this is your first time using an automatic thread cutter feature, the Janome New Home 49360, like all the other machines, makes things very easy and effortless. I like it a lot.
60 stitches
Among these 60 stitches, we’ll find stitches for basic sewing and for decorative stitching.
Among the ones for basic sewing we will find: straight, lock-a-matic stitch, locking stitch, stretch stitch, zigzag, overcasting with zigzag, overedge, knit, etc.
The decorative stitches include: shelltuck, applique, scallop, smocking, quilting, fagoting, satin stitches, decorative stitches, decorative stitch combinations, etc.
We will also find 6 one-step buttonholes: square, round-end, fine fabric, stretch, antique, keyhole, and welted buttonhole.
In the user manual we also get a table that contains the types of fabrics we can stitch with this Janome and which needle sizes we should use for the three categories of fabrics.
Light fabrics: lawn, georgette, tricot, wool, polyester.
Medium: cotton, polyester, fine jersey, wool.
Heavy: denim, jersey, coating, quilting.
Obviously, the Janome New Home 49360 is not a heavy-duty sewing machine for making clothes, mending, and for quilting but it will sew through a wide variety of fabrics and through numerous layers. That’s good enough for a large majority of buyers.
If you want to see how this Janome performs, check out this YouTube video.
Features
This model features Janome’s Exclusive Superior Plus Feed System. It ensures even, stable feeding with any fabric.
If we want to do free-motion sewing and quilting, we can drop feed dog with lever.
I love the simplified navigation keys. I believe that the Janome New Home 49360 can be perfect for beginners but it will also be a delight for more experienced sewers with a generous budget.
Still, I think that this Janome offers top value for money.
We can control the speed of our sewing in two ways: from the speed adjustment button (slider) or from the foot control.
Slide to the right to increase speed and slide the slider to the left to decrease the speed.
Of course, you already know how a foot control is used for adjusting the sewing speed.
That’s why I also reviewed the Janome New Home 49360 as one of the best sewing machines with speed control.
There’s a built-in, one hand needle threader.
It also has a free arm for sewing sleeves and cuffs, for mending knees, cuffs or areas of wear in children’s clothes, and for darning socks. The extension table can be easily detached for free arm sewing.
And there’s a LED light.
Accessories
The sewing feet for the Janome New Home 49360 are: custom crafted zigzag foot, automatic buttonhole foot, zipper foot, overedge foot, satin stitch foot open toe, blind hem foot, ¼” seam foot.
The other accessories included are: bobbin (3), spool pin felt, needle set, additional spoon pin, seam ripper, screwdriver, lint brush, small spool holder, large spool holder, spool stand, foot control, hard cover for transportation.
I should also mention that this Janome only weighs 12 pounds. It’s a portable sewing machine that can be taken to classes, guild meetings, quilting retreats, etc. Overall, it’s one of the best sewing machines with automatic thread cutter that can be easily carried anywhere.
It also includes a hard cover if you want to carry it anywhere.
2. Brother SE600 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
The cheapest with a price around $400 among all these amazing sewing machines with automatic thread cutter is the SE600 from Brother.
Obviously, it’s a model that targets people who want to both sew and do embroidery on the same machine.
However, if you are not interested in embroidery at the moment, the SE600 can still be a pretty nice option if you just want a pretty affordable sewing machine with automatic thread cutter and other interesting features.
Still, it will be an interesting choice for buyers who are interested in both: sewing and embroidery performed by the same machine.
Automatic thread cutter
The thread cutter button is easily identified by the scissor icon.
Press the thread cutter button after sewing is stopped to cut both the upper and the bobbin threads.
Besides the physical thread cutter button that is found next to the speed control slider, the scissor icon will also appear on the screen.
This is called the automatic thread cutting key. We press this key to set the automatic thread cutting function.
If you are unclear about using settings like that, I recommend looking for YouTube tutorials because there are plenty to learn from.
Thus, this Brother SE600 covers all areas.
4 x 4 embroidery field
One thing that interests us when we’re looking for embroidery machines is the size of the hoop, the size of the embroidery field.
This one dictates the size of the designs and images that we can embroider on whatever fabric we want.
Thus, in the case of the SE600, we can embroider images that measure up to 4 x 4 inches. That can be enough for some or it might be too little for others.
It also means that we can only import designs up to 4 x 4 inches.
We can import whatever designs we want via USB as long as the images match the size of the embroidery field.
A 4 x 4 inches hoop is certainly the smallest we can find in an embroidery machine but that’s the compromise we have to make for a model that is one of the cheapest.
Only the Brother PE535 is cheaper than the Brother SE600 but the difference is that the PE535 doesn’t do any sewing, it’s strictly designed for embroidery and that’s it.
Features
With the Brother SE600 we get 80 embroidery designs but they’re not very interesting.
What truly matters is that we can import via USB whatever designs we want as long as they match the size of the embroidery field. You’ll have to come up with the USB stick, it’s not included.
There are 9 built-in fonts: 6 English fonts and 3 Japanese fonts for monogramming and lettering.
There are also 103 sewing stitches for the sewing part.
These also include 10 styles of auto-size buttonholes.
And we get a speed of 710 stitches per minute. It’s not incredibly fast but it’s a good top speed, middle of the road, I guess.
We can easily adjust the sewing speed from the speed control slider, which is moved to the left for decreasing the speed and to the right for increasing the speed.
Or we can choose the classic, adjusting the speed from the foot controller.
We get an automatic needle threader.
And we lower feed dog if we want to do motion-free sewing.
Of course, we get a LED light for a nicely illuminated work area.
Accessories
We get the following sewing feet: zigzag foot, monogramming foot, overcasting foot, zipper foot, blind stitch foot, button fitting foot, buttonhole foot, embroider foot.
The other accessories are: needle set, twin needle, bobbins, pre-wound bobbins, bobbin clip, seam ripper, scissors, foot controller, cleaning brush, eyelet punch, screwdriver, extra spool pin, spool cap (large, medium, small), thread spool insert, bobbin case, spool net, dust cover.
The SE600 is a drop-in bobbin sewing machine.
3. JUKI TL-2000Qi Sewing and Quilting Machine
There are a lot of things for which the JUKI TL-2000Qi can stand out. Overall, it’s an excellent product for both sewing and quilting.
However, there is also one particular feature that might discourage some people from considering it.
Thus, if you don’t like this Juki for whatever reason but you are not bothered by models that cost around $700-$800, then check out the Brother PQ1500SL that I review below. They’re incredibly similar in what they offer, that’s for sure.
Automatic thread cutter
JUKI TL-2000Qi doesn’t include just one type of automatic thread cutter. It provides us with two ways.
First, we have the thread cutter button under the stitch length adjusting dial. It is identified by the same scissor icon that all sewing machines with automatic thread cutter have.
Juki calls it an automatic thread trimming switch.
It uses the thread trimming mechanism that is similar to the industrial type. It trims thin through thick threads without fail.
The other option of automatically timing both the needle and bobbin threads is by pressing the heel side of the foot controller. It’s quite easy to get used to.
Thus, we get the button on the machine and we get the option to press the heel side of the foot controller.
Both methods will do the same thing: cutting the upper and bottom threads as soon as sewing is stopped and we press either of these methods.
1 stitch
While it’s awesome that the JUKI TL-2000Qi is one of the best sewing machines with automatic thread cutter, there might be a bit of a problem for some people.
This Juki has only 1 stitch. The straight stitch.
Of course, the straight stitch will always be the most frequently used stitch for sewing, mending, and quilting.
However, most sewers also enjoy it when their machines have additional stitches, including 1-step buttonhole or zigzag and many other stitches.
However, this Juki only has 1 stitch.
On the other hand, the 1,500 stitches per minute sewing speed is absolutely unbelievable. This is an incredibly fast sewing & quilting machine.
Besides being incredibly fast, sewers also like and choose to buy the JUKI TL-2000Qi for another highly important reason.
They choose this one if they want a heavy duty model that can sew through lots of heavy layers. This Juki will handle all that without any problems.
Also, the machine is made of metal, it is incredibly durable, it is constructed with durability in mind.
Even the bobbins are made of metal. Nowadays, most of us wind plastic bobbins.
One buyer described the JUKI TL-2000Qi as a reliable, affordable industrial machine for home use. It’s a machine that sews like a dream. And the stitches are incredibly consistent.
Thus, if you are not put off by the fact that the TL-2000Qi only sews straight and if you’re looking for a heavy duty, workhorse model with a body made completely of metal, then you might love this one.
Features
The arm size is 8.5 x 6 inches. The throat is fairly large.
The auxiliary table measures 23 x 13 inches.
Since this Juki only has 1 stitch, it’s also very easy to use.
There aren’t many buttons to familiarize ourselves with. There’s no touchscreen to figure out. It has an industrial feel.
This is the type of machine that even beginners will learn how to use very quickly.
And, if there’s something you can’t figure out by just reading the user manual, look for tutorials on YouTube because there will be plenty.
It comes with drop in, metal bobbins.
We get an automatic needle threader.
And a knee lift lever.
There’s a drop-feed knob for free motion sewing and quilting.
The JUKI TL-2000Qi is perfect for sewing through heavy-weight materials with ease.
The speed control mechanism, operated by microcomputer, allows the JUKI TL-2000Qi to sew materials at low speeds. Of course, we can adjust the speed as we want.
It provides for accurate feed and perfect stitching when sewing heavy weight fabrics, quilting, and multiple layers of materials.
We get a table that includes columns for: material, thread, and needle.
Light-weight materials: nylon, cupro, georgette, smooth tricot.
Medium-weight materials: broadcloth, gingham, light-weight jersey, flannel, wool.
Heavy-weight materials: denim, canvas, tweed, artificial leather.
As you can see, it’s indeed a heavy-duty machine.
Accessories
Since there’s only 1 stitch, it seems that JUKI also decided to limit the sewing feet for the TL-2000Qi: presser foot and even feed foot.
The other included accessories are: bobbins (4), needles, foot controller, auxiliary table, knee lift lever, sewing machine cover, screwdriver, oiler, spool cap, cleaning brush.
4. Brother PQ1500SL Sewing and Quilting Machine
Another model in the $700-$800 price range is this Brother PQ1500SL.
Before moving to what it offers for the price, I just want to make something clear: this Brother and the above JUKI TL-2000Qi are incredibly similar.
They look almost the same, they almost offer the same features, both have a 1,500 stitches per minute sewing speed, both only sew the straight stitch, both are sewing machines with automatic thread cutter, etc.
Automatic thread cutter
The button for automatically cutting the needle and bobbin threads is located under the stitch length regulator.
It is simply called a thread cutter button and it will automatically cut the upper and bottom threads as soon as sewing is stopped and you press it.
A user who uses this Brother more than their much more expensive Pfaff machine mentions that they love the automatic thread cutter feature.
1 stitch
Once again we get a model with just the straight stitch.
Thus, it’s an industrial machine for home users.
While I believe that this type is easier to use than those with lots of buttons, touchscreens and things like that, some sewers might think that the Brother PQ1500SL is harder to get used to with its industrial feel. Maybe the absence of a multitude of buttons makes some think that it’s harder to use.
However, I started sewing on my grandmother’s Singer so I love these types of industrial machines a lot.
Models like the Brother PQ1500SL and JUKI TL-2000Qi weigh a lot, they’re heavy-duty, they’re incredibly fast, and they won’t move no matter how fast you sew.
For some, this Brother PQ1500SL might be the first machine that they have to oil. That’s why you have to read the user manual always.
Features
We get a fairly large 5.7 x 8.6 inches needle-to-arm space. It offers a pretty large throat for quilting.
We’ll also receive a wide table. With the wide table, the workspace is expanded to 11 x 21.5 inches.
We get a feed dog adjustment knob. There are also 4 feed dog height adjustments. It allows for free motion quilting.
One thing that stands out if you read some reviews from buyers is that people truly love the Brother PQ1500SL for free motion quilting.
And you’ll also notice that quilters are the primary buyers for this one.
It also includes a precision pin feeding system to make it easier to sew a wider variety of fabric thickness.
We get an automatic needle threader that might get some time getting used to. You can also thread it manually if the automatic route is not for you.
Some might find the LED light to be a bit lacking, not as bright as they might desire. You can check out my reviews for the best sewing lamps if you need additional lighting.
Accessories
This is an area where the above Juki and this Brother have obvious differences.
There are 7 feet included: general purpose foot, rolled hem foot, adjustable zipper/piping foot, invisible zipper foot, ¼” foot, spring action quilting foot, walking foot.
Other accessories are: knee lifter, extension table, screwdriver, cleaning brush, needles and case, fabric separator, feed pin, bobbin (5), spool cap, foot controller, soft cover.
The bobbins are made of metal. It’s a drop-in top bobbin.
Speed is controlled from the foot controller.
5. Singer 9960 Sewing Machine
Besides the Brother SE600 that I reviewed above, the Singer 9960 Sewing Machine is the second cheapest model that I could find to review as we’re looking for sewing machines with automatic thread cutter.
Of course, the SE600 from Brother is a sewing & embroidery machine.
The Singer 9960 is solely a sewing machine. They’re quite a bit different but it’s nice that we can find affordable representatives for both categories.
Automatic thread cutter
The automatic thread cutter button is located next to the speed control slider. They’re both very easy to locate and to use.
And it’s nice to see that such an affordable machine will include these two very helpful features.
Of course, there’s also an automatic needle threader.
While I definitely like the Singer 9960 a lot and I appreciate all the wonderful features it includes, I must also mention that there are quite a few negative reviews that you should check out before deciding.
We get a 6.4 inch sewing space (needle to tower) and 4 inch height.
There’s also an extension table included.
600 built-in stitches
While the above Brother and Juki machines only sew one stitch, this Singer takes it to a whole other level.
The 600 stitches and the 1,172 stitch applications are impressive.
It promises consistent buttonholes with 13 one-step buttonhole styles.
There are also 5 fonts included.
Accessories
There are a lot of sewing feet included: general purpose foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, satin foot, blind hem foot, open toe foot, cording foot, darning/embroidery foot, even feed/walking foot, overcasting foot, button sewing foot, narrow hem foot, quarter inch foot.
Other accessories are: quilting bar, pack of needles, bobbins, seam ripper, auxiliary spool pin, spool pin felt, thread spool caps, screwdrivers, large extension table, hard dust cover.
6. Brother SE2000 Combo Sewing and Embroidery Machine
While I normally tend to recommend the SE1900 if we’re talking about the best embroidery machine for beginners or if I’m recommending cheap embroidery machines, I don’t want to do that on this occasion.
While the SE1900 comes with an automatic thread cutter, I thought that the SE2000 might be a better recommendation this time around.
Frankly, the SE2000 from Brother is one of the best sewing machines with automatic thread cutter for one particular category of buyers: those who are looking for a sewing and embroidery machine.
Thus, if you’re not interested in personalizing various objects via embroidery, then the Brother SE2000 won’t be something that you’ll become interested in.
It also addresses another category of buyers: those who have a budget around $1,500. However, if your budget is half that, check out the Brother SE1900 because that one is fantastic, as well.
Automatic thread cutter
The thread cutter button is located to the left of the sewing speed controller. It’s a classic positioning for some Brother and Singer machines.
Press the thread cutter button, identified by the scissor icon, after sewing is stopped to cut both the upper and the bobbin threads.
5 x 7 inches embroidery field
Brother has two hoop sizes: 4 x 4 inches and 5 x 7 inches.
Obviously, more expensive models like the SE1900 and SE2000 will feature the bigger hop.
On the other hand, as we saw, the much cheaper SE600 included the 4 x 4 inch hoop.
Plus, the SE2000 is also compatible with the Brother 4 x 7 inch magnetic hoop. This one is bought separately but it’s quite expensive so I don’t see the purpose of it.
I should also mention that the Brother SE2000 is compatible with the Brother iBroidery platform.
We can also access the Artspira App that has embroidery patterns we can download. We can download 50 free embroidery designs.
Features
I think the Brother SE2000 can be an amazing choice for crafters who want to connect their sewing & embroidery machine to their Wi-Fi network. And then, via the same wireless network, establish a wireless connection between the SE2000 and their laptop, PC, phone, etc.
The connection is established via Design Database Transfer.
So we can import embroidery designs wirelessly, no need for a USB stick anymore.
And we can create our own designs by drawing on our mobile device.
However, people who want to stay as far away as possible from these kinds of more advanced technologies are not going to be excited with the SE2000.
We get the Jump Stitch Trimming function that automatically trims any excess thread jumps within the color.
And we can use the Color Sort feature. It adjusts the order in which multi-color embroidery designs are stitched. That also reduces color changes. It’s definitely very helpful and more efficient.
Accessories
Sewing feet: zigzag foot, monogramming foot, overcasting foot, zipper foot, blind stitch foot, button fitting foot, buttonhole foot, embroidery food.
The other accessories: needle set, twin needle, bobbin (4), seam ripper, scissors, cleaning brush, eyelet punch, screwdriver (3), knee lifter, foot controller, embroidery bobbin thread (60 weight, white), and many others.
Thread cutter vs Automatic thread cutter
Almost all new machines will come with a thread cutter. You’ll usually find it on the left side, on the arm. It can be located underneath or on the left side of the arm. The user manual should indicate the position of this type of manual thread cutter. You can also see where it’s placed in this YouTube video that also shows people how to use it.
Of course, this type of thread cutter is manual so we have to bring the thread up and pass it through that little razor located on the arm. This type of manual thread cutter is located perfectly to leave us with the needed extra thread to start a new stitch line.
The automatic thread cutter that it’s the subject of this article doesn’t require us to pass the thread through a tiny razor.
This automatic feature of cutting the thread will be located on the LCD screen of our model. It will appear in the form of a scissor icon.
Brother has a tutorial on how this feature is used.
Basically, if we press the scissor icon after sewing is stopped, then the thread cutter will automatically cut both the upper and the bobbin threads.
Even if this feature is not all that common at the moment, using sewing machines with automatic thread cutter will speed up our sewing but we can absolutely sew without this automatic feature so it’s just another helpful spec to have for our projects but it’s not crucial to our sewing and our projects.
