Embroidery Machine Guide

Brother · Embroidery only · Specs checked October 2026

Brother PE800: hoop size, file formats and specs

Also written: PE-800, PE 800

Brother's older embroidery-only machine with a 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) field, 138 built-in designs and a color touch screen. Designs come in by USB stick only, with no wireless transfer or app. Brother US now lists it as discontinued.

The Brother PE800 is a discontinued embroidery-only machine with a 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) embroidery field. It reads .PES, .PHC, .DST files and gets designs by USB stick, and has 138 built-in designs and 11 lettering fonts.

Newer model: The PE800 has been replaced by the Brother PE900. See what changed

PE800 hoop size and embroidery area

The PE800 can stitch a design up to 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) in one hooping, which is the 5 × 7 in size. That is the field limit: a larger hoop from another maker will not let it stitch a bigger area.

6 × 10PE800 field4 × 4
The PE800 field (filled) next to standard hoop sizes, drawn to scale.

In the box: 5" × 7" hoop (large) (5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)).

Optional from Brother: Multi-position hoop (12" × 5" frame, stitches 5" × 7" per position) (5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)), 4" × 4" hoop (medium) (4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm)), Small frame (about 1" × 2.5") (2.4 × 0.8 in (60 × 20 mm)).

Check if your design fits the PE800

What file format does the PE800 use?

The PE800 reads .PES, .PHC and .DST files. You load designs by USB stick. Designs in other formats (for example .JEF or .EXP) need converting first with embroidery software.

Where to buy the Brother PE800

Discontinued: you will mostly find it used or refurbished. See its successor below.

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Brother PE800 specs

TypeEmbroidery only
Embroidery field5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)
Hoops included5" × 7" hoop (large) (5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm))
Optional hoopsMulti-position hoop (12" × 5" frame, stitches 5" × 7" per position) (5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)); 4" × 4" hoop (medium) (4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm)); Small frame (about 1" × 2.5") (2.4 × 0.8 in (60 × 20 mm))
Cap frameNo
File formats it reads.PES, .PHC, .DST
Design transferUSB stick
Built-in designs138
Lettering fonts11
Screencolour, touch screen
Max embroidery speed650 stitches per minute
Weight17.64 lb (8 kg)
Released2016
StatusDiscontinued
Skill levelBeginner

Who the PE800 is for

A fit for a home embroiderer who wants a 5 × 7 in field and is happy to move designs by USB stick, buying used or from leftover stock. Skip it if you want wireless transfer, an app, or a machine Brother still sells new.

Strengths

  • 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) stitch area, with the matching 5 × 7 in hoop in the box
  • Color touch screen where you can rotate, mirror and resize designs before stitching
  • 138 built-in designs, 10 frame shapes and 11 lettering fonts
  • Reads .pes, .phc and .dst files from a USB flash drive
  • Brother lists optional 4 × 4 in, small and multi-position hoops for it

Limits

  • USB stick only: no Wi-Fi and no companion app
  • Brother lists no cap frame for it, so it is not set up for finished hats
  • Single needle, so you change the thread by hand for every color
  • Brother US lists it as discontinued, so new stock is limited

Good to know: Brother's US spec table lists 7 fonts, while the page text and Brother's design guide for the machine show 11 (7 Latin-alphabet, 1 Cyrillic, 3 Japanese). The screen is listed as 3.2 × 1.8 in with no diagonal given, so screen size is left empty. Brother's US page gives no top speed; 650 spm is the Max Embroidery Speed value shown in the manual's settings screen and on retailer spec pages. The multi-position hoop is a 12 × 5 in frame you move between three positions to stitch combined designs; each section is still limited to 7 × 5 in, so it does not enlarge the field. Brother lists the same hoop part numbers (SA442, SA443, SA444, SA445) for the PE770 and PE800.

How the PE800 compares

Listed in our buying guides

Frequently asked questions

What is the embroidery area of the Brother PE800?

5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm). A 5 × 7 in hoop comes in the box. Brother also lists optional 4 × 4 in, small and multi-position hoops, but none of them make the field larger.

What file formats does the Brother PE800 read?

It reads .pes, .phc and .dst files from a USB flash drive. DST files show as file names only, without a picture, in the pattern list.

Does the Brother PE800 have Wi-Fi or an app?

No. Brother lists a USB port only, and the manual covers USB flash drives. The PE900 adds wireless transfer and the Artspira app.

Can the Brother PE800 embroider hats?

Brother lists no cap frame for the PE800. The hoops in its manual are flat frames, so it is not set up for finished caps.

Brother PE800 or PE900: what is the difference?

Both stitch up to 5 × 7 in at 650 stitches per minute. The PE900 adds wireless transfer, the Artspira app, an optional 4 × 7 in magnetic hoop and .pen file support, and has 193 built-in designs against 138. Brother US lists the PE800 as discontinued and the PE900 as available.

Sources

Specs come from Brother's own pages and manuals, checked October 2026. Prices are typical ranges, not live prices. We are not affiliated with Brother. See how we research.