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My Brother 2104D overlocker review:
The 2104D is a good choice for sewers who just want the main 3 or 4 thread stitches, easy threading, and don’t want to spend too much.
The price makes it one of the most affordable overlockers on the market.
For a budget overlocker, threading is really good. I like the “F.A.S.T lower looper threading system” and colour-coded guides.
Some industry specialists I spoke to like the Brother brand in general, especially for ease of threading.
They also think you can’t tell much difference in the stitch quality between this and more expensive overlockers.
However, many agreed that there are overlockers with better build quality and more powerful motors than the 2104D. If you want a better-built machine, check out the mid-range Brother 4234D instead.
It can make rolled hems, narrow hems, mock flatlock stitches, blind hems, and pintuck stitches.
It has differential feed to stop seams stretching out or puckering. This can also be used to create special effects like ruffles or wavy ālettuce leafā hems.
Itās easy to switch between overlocking and rolled hemming mode.
It can sew at 1300 stitches per minute (s.p.m), which is fast. For comparison, domestic overlockers can generally do 1300 to 1500 s.p.m.
It has a retractable knife. You can stitch without cutting the fabric.
Threading:
It has a well-designed looper threading system thatās better than older overlockers.
The colour-coded threading diagrams are excellent.
Can it handle a variety of fabrics?
It can handle a variety of fabric thicknesses thanks to its high presser foot lift (5-6mm) and adjustable pressure.
The pressure dial is also easier to use than some overlockers.
Other features and accessories:
Lots of free feet included.
It has a free arm for sewing tubes of fabric. Some brands donāt include this feature, like many Janome overlockers.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
I would definitely recommend Brother machines over these.
F.A.S.T lower looper threading system
The switch pulls out the hidden lower looper. Photo credit: @GutStoff (Instagram)
Threading the lower looper is normally the trickiest part.
Especially on an older overlocker. Their lower loopers are normally hidden. You have to reach deep inside to find and thread them. Itās fiddly!
Brother solved this with their āF.A.S.T lower looper threading systemā. They created a switch that lets you pull out the lower looper. Now you can thread it in plain sight.
Lower looper threading system on the Brother 4234D. It has the same system as the 2104D. Video credit: Brother EU.
The Brother 4234D has the same lower looper design as the 2104D, and the Janome model has an older lower looper design.
THE RESULTS:
It took about 3 minutes and 10 seconds to thread the lower looper on the Janome. It was very fiddly.
It took about 40 seconds on the Brother 4234D!
What a difference. Brother’s “F.A.S.T lower looper threading system” was much faster and simpler to thread.
Well designed colour-coded guides
The colour-coded guides and stitch illustrations. Photo credit: @GutStoff (Instagram)
The colour-coded threading clearly tells you where to place your threads. This will save you from going back to your manual every time you thread.
I especially like Brotherās colour-coded design.
The stitch illustrations (pictured above) are really helpful when figuring out why your stitch doesnāt look right. The pictures help you identify which needle or looper thread is the cause, and then you can adjust the tension to fix it.
Some brands colour-coded labels are less detailed than this.
Just coloured dials on the Elna 664 Pro, no stitch illustrations.
Just coloured dots on the Janome 9300dx, no stitch illustrations.
Blind stitch foot for blind hems, mock flatlocks, and pintucks.
Piping foot to add piping and overlock the edge at the same time.
Gathering foot to attach flat fabric with gathered fabric. If you just want to gather fabric, you can use the standard foot and a high differential feed setting.
I was quite surprised it comes with so many feet. Even the more expensive Brother 4234D only gets 1 extra foot, let alone 3!
It would cost you about £80 to buy these separately.
Here’s what you can do with each foot:
Blind stitch foot
Photo credit: Brother EU
Piping foot
Photo credit: Brother EU
Gathering foot
Photo credit: Brother EU
It can handle different fabric thicknesses
High presser foot lift
The presser foot. Photo credit: @GutStoff (Instagram)
If youāre going to work with thick fabrics, youāll need an overlocker with a high presser foot lift so that loftier fabrics will fit underneath.
Brother says you can raise the 2104D’s presser foot to 5 ā 6mm.
Iām not sure why brands quote a range (maybe to allow for tolerance during manufacturing), but I would stick to the safe side and assume that means 5mm.
All domestic overlockers that advertise a high presser foot lift are between 5 ā 6mm, so that still looks pretty good to me.
Presser foot test
I wanted to help you visualise what a 5 – 6 mm presser foot can fit underneath.
Hereās a medium to heavy weight denim jean that I folded and put under my overlockers presser foot when it was 4mm high. Note: I use a Brother 4234D.
I was able to get 8 layers of denim under the 4mm high presser foot.
At 5 – 6 mm high, the 2104D will be able to get even more underneath.
What can fit under a 4mm high presser foot? 8 layers of medium to heavy weight denim (each fold is 2 layers).
To be clear, Iām not saying the machine will happily stitch through that many layers.
I just want to show what can fit under a presser foot thatās 4mm+ high.
Will it sew denim/upholstery fabric?
Yes.
According to a technician I spoke to, domestic overlockers are designed to handle about 3 or 4 layers of fabric.
An overlocker salesperson told me that going over 4 layers of denim at the seams every now and then is fine.
But you wouldnāt want to be sewing long stretches of 4+ layers of denim all the time.
Domestic machines, even premium ones, aren’t designed for that.
If you regularly sew multiple layers of thick materials, the technician recommended looking at industrial overlockers instead.
They have a lot more power and better blades to cut and stitch thick materials on a regular basis.
Adjustable pressure
A labelled pressure dial. Easier to use than an unmarked screw. Photo credit: sewingcraft.brother.eu
The 2104D lets you change how hard or light the presser foot is pushing down on your fabric. This is called adjustable presser foot pressure.
Most overlockers have it.
Youāll need it to create more pressure to feed thick fabric through the machine, and reduce the pressure for very light fabrics.
Brother has made adjusting the pressure user-friendly with a clearly labelled dial.
I prefer this over other overlockers that just have a screw. There are no markings on a screw, so getting back to normal pressure can be confusing.
Free arm
Free arm. Photo credit: @GutStoff (Instagram)
This model has a free arm to make sewing tubes of fabric (like necklines, trouser hems, sleeves) easier. This turns the fabric for you as you stitch.
Some brands lack this feature, like many Janome models.
Differential feed
The differential feed setting dial. Switch it to ‘2’ to gather the fabric, or ‘0.7’ to stretch the fabric. Photo credit: @GutStoff (Instagram)
Today all modern overlockers have a differential feed system.
This will let you stretch out or gather fabric as youāre overlocking.
Why would you want to use differential feed?
Fix puckering seams
If youāre experiencing puckering seams, stretching out the fabric slightly will solve this and create a flat, smooth seam.
Fix stretched out seams
If your seam is stretched out, you can very slightly gather the material while overlocking to create a flat seam.
You might have to do this when sewing stretchy knits.
Create gathers
You can quickly gather fabric if you want to create ruffles or a gathered skirt.
Just turn up the differential feed setting to the max.
It’s so much faster than creating gathers on a sewing machine.
Create “lettuce leaf” edge
This is a decorative way to finish an edge on a stretch fabric.
How does it work?
Changing the differential feed setting allows you to make the front and back feed dogs move at different speeds. Note: feed dogs are the jagged metal bars under the presser foot.
You can make the back feed dog move faster than the front one to stretch the fabric.
You can make the front feed dog move faster than the back one to gather the fabric.
Or you can keep both feed dogs moving at the same speed for normal overlocking.
Easy to switch to rolled hemming
The 2104D has āinstant rolled hem conversionā.
This means you can easily switch from overlocking to rolled hemming by just removing the stitch finger.
In the past overlockers made you change the needle plate too. This made switching to sewing rolled hems slower and more difficult.
This is a normal feature in modern overlockers.
Built-in storage
What you can store in the front cover: stitch finger, screwdriver, and pack of needles. Photo credit: sewingcraft.brother.euSpace for the tweezers to clip in. Photo credit: @GutStoff (Instagram)
There’s space in the overlocker for tweezers, a stitch finger, a screwdriver, and a pack of needles.
No space for
There’s no space for any spare feet or the cleaning brush.
It would be nice if there was space for the brush because you’ll need it often, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
Extension table available
Photo credit: sewingcraft.brother.eu
Price: typically Ā£15 – 22
You can buy an extension table to make your sewing area bigger. This will help you handle the fabric better.
Expect to pay about £15 to £22.
This can be helpful when working with knits that might stretch out and distort if dragged, or heavy materials that might pull on the needles if dragged.
I donāt think the extension table is a necessity. I sew knits without an extension table and havenāt had distortion problems.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
1 salesperson said they sell a lot of Brother 2104D’s, but the build quality isn’t as good as other machines.
Another salesperson agreed that more expensive overlockers have better motors and build quality than the budget 2104D.
Budget overlockers, in general, tend to have:
Poorer quality metal frames that will wear out quicker.
More gearing and linkages made from plastic.
Weaker motors.
And more “relaxed” quality control standards during manufacturing.
These are all the result of cost-saving decisions the manufacturer has to make for a budget product.
A salesperson gave me a rough estimate that budget overlockers might only have a lifespan of 4 to 6 years. I imagine how often it’s used and how well the machine is looked after will change that stat.
If you’re looking for a better-built overlocker that’s not too expensive, some of the models they recommended instead were the Brother 4234D and Janome 6234XL.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
(13 reviews from amazon.co.uk and 3 reviews from sewingmachinesales.co.uk).
15 reviews were positive overall.
1 review was negative overall.
Is it easy to use?
The manual and DVD it comes with. Photo credit: dennisjw (sg.carousell.com)
3 buyers praised the instructional DVD and manual, saying they made threading easy.
10 buyers said the machine was easy to use and/or thread.
1 buyer recommended this machine for beginners because they thought it was easy to use.
However, another buyer said the DVD and manual were not clear enough for an absolute beginner.
They said the part of the DVD that should have explained where to place the threads at the end was edited out. And sometimes the presenter’s fingers got in the way.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
How does the Brother 2104D compare to other overlockers?
Compared to budget overlockers
This is a really good option when compared to budget models from other brands.
It shares these things with most budget machines:
3/4 thread stitch ability.
Differential feed.
Easy to switch to rolled hemming mode.
Adjustable pressure.
Colour-coded threading, although I think Brother has a more detailed and helpful design than some brands.
Similar price.
I think the Brother 2104D has an advantage over some budget models in these ways:
It has a better lower looper design than some older machines.
Many budget overlockers don’t get many free feet, unlike the 2104D which gets 3 extra feet.
Brother had a good reputation among some of the industry specialists I interviewed. A technician said you can expect a nice machine from Brother.
Not all overlockers have a free arm like this Brother one. For example, many Janome overlockers.
Some budget models don’t have the option to add an extension table.
Compared to mid-range overlockers
It lacks features normally found on mid-range overlockers, like:
2 thread stitch options.
Built-in needle threader.
Better build quality and motor power.
Compared to premium overlockers
There probably won’t be much difference in stitch quality between budget and premium overlockers.
The difference is normally in:
Air threading.
Automatic tension.
Built-in needle threaders.
2 thread stitch options.
Build quality and motor power.
Other conveniences like a built-in spreader, a more sensitive differential feed system, a more sensitive pressure adjustment dial, etc.
Compared to other Brother models
What’s the difference between the Brother 2104D and M343D?
The M343D is about £20 cheaper than the 2104D (at the time of publication).
Feature-wise, they’re almost identical.
The M343D only comes with the standard foot, whereas the 2104D gets the standard foot plus 3 extra feet. It would cost about £80 to buy these 3 feet separately.
I also think the M343D is a discontinued model because it doesn’t exist on Brother’s website anymore, whereas the 2104D does. That means new M343D’s probably aren’t being manufactured anymore.
What’s the difference between the Brother 2104D and 3034DWT?
The Brother 3034DWT is about £50 more expensive (at the time of publication).
You get a waste tray and extension table included. It would cost about £45 to buy these separately.
Otherwise, the features are identical.
1 overlocker salesperson I spoke to believed the build quality and motor is slightly better.
What’s the difference between the Brother 2104D and 4234D?
The 4234D is about £170 more expensive (at the time of publication).
Overlocker salespeople said the build quality and motor is definitely more sturdy and robust on this model.
It can make 2 thread stitches.
It has a built-in needle threader.
It comes with a waste tray and 1 extra foot.
Brother also designed a much larger extension table just for the 4234D.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
It can do 3 or 4 thread stitches. I like the price, threading system and how many free feet it gets (4 in total). However, there’s no waste tray and build-quality isn’t the best (like all budget overlockers). This is a good option if you only sew occasionally.
I bought my overlocker during lockdown and have finally had a play around with all the settings. Your post has been so useful and the videos are great to follow and test each foot š I wanted to make sure I knew everything I could do with this machine and now I do!
Thanks Leanne. Enjoy your new machine š
Sara
How do you thread Brother 2104. Very poor video on YouTube, useless. No dvd provided with my new machine.
Hey there! Thank you for the informative post, I’m just wondering if you knew of what size thread/spools/ to buy for this machine? This is my first overlocker and I’m finding it hard to locate.
Hi, any overlocker spool of thread will work. I use gutermann toldi-lock 2500m on mine, but some people prefer the bigger cones.
8 replies on “My Brother 2104D Overlocker Review (with Stitch Photos)”
I bought my overlocker during lockdown and have finally had a play around with all the settings. Your post has been so useful and the videos are great to follow and test each foot š
I wanted to make sure I knew everything I could do with this machine and now I do!
Thanks Leanne. Enjoy your new machine š
Sara
How do you thread Brother 2104. Very poor video on YouTube, useless. No dvd provided with my new machine.
Hi, I had a look on Youtube. Someone has uploaded the DVD here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53rG8Nz3PhQ&t=43s
If you don’t like that, there are some other good videos here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brother+2104d+overlocker+threading
All Brother overlockers that I’ve seen have the same threading system, so it’s OK if you follow the tutorial for a different model number.
Sara š
Mine just arrived today, and I have no extra feet included š
Thanks for letting me know.
According to the Brother website, the 2104d should come with the blind stitch, piping, and gathering foot. It says so on the product page, on the “what’s in the box” section: https://sewingcraft.brother.eu/en/products/machines/overlocker-machines/overlocker-machines/2104d#2
It might be worth asking the seller about this.
Sara
Hey there! Thank you for the informative post, I’m just wondering if you knew of what size thread/spools/ to buy for this machine? This is my first overlocker and I’m finding it hard to locate.
Hi, any overlocker spool of thread will work. I use gutermann toldi-lock 2500m on mine, but some people prefer the bigger cones.