How to Change Speed & Tension on Brother PE-700II Embroidery Machine

Mastering Your Brother PE-700II: The Ultimate Guide to Settings, Speed, and Tension Control

If you have ever stood over your Brother PE-700II, watched a bird’s nest of thread form under the needle plate, and thought, "My stitches looked fine a minute ago—what happened?", you are not alone. Machine embroidery is not just about pressing a green button; it is an "experience science" where physics, fabric, and digital commands collide.

Many beginners operate in a state of low-level anxiety, afraid to touch the settings menu for fear of breaking something. But the secret to professional results lies exactly in those menus.

This guide acts as your operational white paper. We will move beyond basic button-pushing to understand the mechanics of control. You will learn how to safely navigate the PE-700II’s settings screens, calibrate your maximum speed based on fabric stability, and master the "black art" of tension adjustment.

What you will master:

• Navigation: Finding the "Paper Icon" without fumbling.
• Speed Physics: When to use 350 spm (Safe Mode) vs. 650 spm (Production Mode).
• Tension Logic: Adjusting for delicate silks vs. heavy toweling.
• Health Checks: Reading your Service Count to predict maintenance needs.

Accessing the PE-700II Settings Menu

The interface of the PE-700II is utilitarian, but for a new user, it can feel cluttered. The first step to gaining control is knowing exactly where the "brain" of the machine lives.

Locating the settings icon

Turn your machine on. Ignore the pattern selection screen for a moment. Your target is the configuration portal.

The Visual Anchor: On the LCD touch panel, scan the bottom row of icons. You are looking for a specific shape. It is the middle button that looks like a small sheet of paper with lines on it.

• Action: Tap the "Paper Icon" firmly. It should beep (unless you have silenced it) and switch the screen layout immediately.

Navigating through pages

Once inside, you are in a multi-page menu. You will see tabs or navigational arrows. The presenter in our reference demonstration scrolls past general system settings (like color naming) to reach the Machining Data page—this is where the critical variables of speed and tension live.

• Action: Use the on-screen "Next Page" arrows.
• Sensory Check: As you scroll, look for numbers. If you see a simple +00 or 350, you have found the operation page.

expert Pro-Tip: Do not memorize the position of the button (e.g., "bottom right"). Brother changes layouts between models. Memorize the symbol (the sheet of paper). This cognitive anchor ensures that if you ever upgrade to a different machine, you can still find your way.

Adjusting Embroidery Speed

Speed is the single most misunderstood variable in machine embroidery. Beginners think "Faster = Better Productivity." Experts know "Faster = More Friction and Vibration."

The PE-700II allows a toggle between 350 spm (stitches per minute) and 650 spm.

Why increase speed to 650 spm?

650 spm is your "Highway Speed." It is excellent for productivity, but only when road conditions are perfect.

• Use Condition: Use 650 spm for stable fabrics (like heavy denim or canvas), simple running stitches, or low-density satin columns.
• The Pre-Requisite: You must be 100% confident in your hooping. If the fabric is "drum-tight" and you are using a strong stabilizer, the machine can handle the inertia of high-speed direction changes.

When to use slower speeds (The "Safe Mode")

350 spm is your "School Zone Speed." The presenter's machine was originally set here, and for good reason.

The Physics of Slowing Down: When you reduce speed, you reduce the "whipping" action of the thread as it passes through the eye of the needle. This lowers the heat generated by friction and reduces the tension shock on the thread.

Switch to 350 spm immediately if:

1. Thread Breaks: You hear a "snap" and the upper thread shreds.
2. Dense Designs: You are stitching a photo-realistic design or a heavy patch.
3. Metallic Thread: These threads are brittle and require low friction.
4. Delicate Fabric: Silk or satin will pucker at high speeds due to the rapid needle penetration force.

Sensory Monitor: Listen to your machine.

• A Healthy Sound: A rhythmic, steady thump-thump-thump.
• A Warning Sound: A harsh, metallic slapping noise or a struggling "groan" from the motor. If you hear this, Stop. Reduce speed.

Tool-Upgrade Path: The Throughput Dilemma

• The Pain Point (Trigger): You keep the speed low (350 spm) because your hooping isn't secure enough, and you are spending 5 minutes re-hooping for every 10 minutes of stitching.
• The Judgment Standard: If you are doing larger production runs (e.g., 20+ shirts), manual hooping at low speeds is killing your profit margin.
• The Solution (Options):
  • Level 1: Switch to a sticky stabilizer to help grip.
  • Level 2 (Tool): Upgrade your hoop. magnetic embroidery hoops for brother provide a stronger, more even grip than standard plastic hoops. This allows you to run the machine faster (closer to 650 spm) with less risk of fabric slippage.

Optimizing Tension for Fabrics

Tension is the balance of power between the upper thread and the bobbin thread. The video source notes a default of +1, but this is an empirical value, not a law.

Settings for towels vs. delicate fabrics

The logic generally used in the video is correct, but let's define the "Why."

• Delicate Fabrics (Looser Tension): If the tension is too high, the thread pulls the fabric together, creating wrinkles (puckering) that ironing cannot fix.
• Towels/Canvas (Tighter Tension): Thick fabrics need more force to "seat" the stitch into the pile. If loose, the thread sits on top and looks messy.

Understanding the +1 default

The presenter leaves hers on +1. Many machines drift over time. The "H" Test (Expert Calibration): Do not trust the screen number blindly. Flip your finished embroidery over.

• Correct Tension: You should see 1/3 bobbin thread (white) in the center of satin columns, flanked by colored top thread on both sides.
• Too Tight (Top): Only bobbin thread is visible on the back; the fabric may be tunneling.
• Too Loose (Top): No bobbin thread shows; it looks like a straight line of white.

Mini Decision Tree: Fabric → Stabilizer → Tension

Before you touch the tension dial, ensure you haven't made a "Foundation Error." Tension cannot fix bad stabilizing.

1. Scenario: Stretchy T-Shirt/Knit
   • Stabilizer: Cutaway (Must create a non-stretch base).
   • Needle: Ballpoint 75/11.
   • Tension: Start at 0 or -1. (Prevent puckering).
2. Scenario: Terry Cloth Towel
   • Stabilizer: Tearaway (Back) + Water Soluble Topper (Front).
   • Needle: Sharp 80/12 or 90/14.
   • Tension: Start at +1 or +2. (Pull stitch deep into loops).
3. Scenario: Woven Cotton/Quilt
   • Stabilizer: Tearaway or Cutaway.
   • Needle: Universal 75/11.
   • Tension: Default (0 or +1).

Tool-Upgrade Path: The "Hoop Burn" Crisis

• The Pain Point (Trigger): You are tightening the standard plastic hoop screw so hard to hold a thick towel that your wrists hurt, or you leave "hoop burn" (shiny crushed rings) on delicate velvet.
• The Judgment Standard: If you are rejecting garments because of hoop marks, or physically struggling to close the hoop.
• The Solution (Options):
  • Level 1: "Float" the fabric (hoop only stabilizer, spray adhesive, lay fabric on top). Risky for registration.
  • Level 2 (Tool): Switch to a magnetic hoop for brother. These use magnetic force rather than friction to hold fabric. They automatically adjust to the thickness of a towel (no screw tightening) and eliminate hoop burn on delicate items.

Warning: Magnetic Safety. Powerful magnetic hoops can pinch fingers severely. If you use a pacemaker or have implanted medical devices, consult your doctor before handling high-strength industrial magnets.

Checking Machine Usage Stats

Your embroidery machine is like a car; it has an odometer. The PE-700II tracks its life history in stitches.

Viewing total stitch count

Navigate to the Information Icon (usually near the settings page).

Interpreting the Data:

• Service Count: Stitches since last maintenance reset.
• Total Count: Lifetime stitches.

Expert Rule of Thumb:

• Every 2-3 Million Stitches: The machine needs a deep clean and lubrication.
• Resale Value: A machine with <5 million stitches is "low mileage." >50 million is a workhorse.

Sensory Check: As the stitch count climbs, listen for a dry, grinding sound. That is the sound of metal needing oil, regardless of what the screen says.

Other System Preferences

Ergonomics play a huge role in reducing operator error.

Changing languages

If you purchased a machine second-hand or imported it, you might find it in German or Italian. The language tab allows an instant reset to your native language.

Buzzer and screen brightness

Workflow Efficiency: If you work in a shared space (living room), turn the Buzzer Volume down. The constant beeping during color changes can cause "operator fatigue," making you rush steps just to stop the noise. A calmer environment leads to better threading decisions.

Tool-Upgrade Path: The Repetitive Strain

• The Pain Point (Trigger): Your neck and shoulders ache after a 4-hour session of hooping and checking screens.
• The Connection: Ergonomics isn't just about the chair. It's about how hard you fight your tools.
• The Solution (Options):
  • Level 1: Raise your table height.
  • Level 2 (Tool): Use a hooping station for embroidery. This device holds the hoop static while you align the shirt, ensuring perfect placement every time without the "embroidery yoga" twisting motions.

Troubleshooting Tips

When the machine stops, do not panic. Use this structured diagnostics logic. Order matters: always fix the Physical before the Digital.

1. The Bird's Nest (Thread Bunching underneath)

Symptom: The machine makes a grinding noise and a ball of thread forms under the bobbin case.

• Likely Cause: oddly enough, this is usually an Upper Thread issue. If the top thread has no tension (slipped out of the tension disks), it pours into the bobbin area.
• Quick Fix: Raise the presser foot (this opens the tension disks). Re-thread the entire upper path. ensure you feel a slight resistance when pulling the thread through the needle.

2. Fabric Puckering

Symptom: The design looks wrinkled, and the fabric isn't flat.

• Likely Cause: Hooping is too loose, or stabilization is wrong. Only rarely is it machine tension.
• Quick Fix: Learn proper hooping for embroidery machine technique. The fabric should sound like a drum when tapped. If using knits, ensure you are using Cutaway stabilizer.

3. Constant Thread Breaking

Symptom: Snap. Snap. Snap.

• Likely Cause: Needle burr or speed too high.
• Quick Fix:
  1. Change the needle. (It costs pennies; do not debate it).
  2. Slow down to 350 spm.
  3. Check the path: Is the thread catching on the spool cap?

To aid in consistent tension, many users eventually upgrade to robust machine embroidery hoops that maintain fabric tension better than the stock hoops over long periods.

Warning: Needle Safety. Keep fingers away from the needle zone during operation. A 650 spm needle moves faster than your reflex. Always pause the machine before trimming jump stitches.

Expert Checklists: Your Flight Plan

Do not rely on memory. Pilots use checklists; so should you.

Prep Checklist (The " consumables" check)

• Correct Needle: Installed? (e.g., 75/11 for cotton). Is it fresh?
• Bobbin: Full enough to finish the design? (Don't play "bobbin chicken").
• Stabilizer: Matched to fabric? (Cutaway for stretch, Tearaway for stable).
• Hoop: Fabric is taut (drum sound)? Screw is tight?
• Tools: Snips and brother 4x4 embroidery hoop (or your size of choice) are clean and ready.

Setup Checklist (Digital configuration)

1. Icon: Tap the "Paper Icon".
2. Speed: Set to 350 spm (Dense/Delicate) or 650 spm (Draft/Stable).
3. Tension: Reset to baseline (e.g., +1). Adjust only if fabric dictates.
4. Unit: Confirm Inches vs. mm (avoids sizing errors).
5. Stats: Glance at Total Count (is maintenance due?).

Operation Checklist (The "First 100 Stitches")

• hit "Start." Watch the first 100 stitches like a hawk.
• Listen: Is the sound rhythmic?
• Look: Is the fabric "flagging" (bouncing up and down with the needle)? If yes, Stop -> Re-hoop.
• Inspect: Pause after the first color. flip the hoop. Check tension.

Conclusion

Controlling the Brother PE-700II is about confidence. By mastering the settings menu, you stop "guessing" and start "engineering" your embroidery.

Remember the hierarchy of success:

1. Physics: Good hooping and correct stabilizer (Consider how to use magnetic embroidery hoop tools if you struggle here).
2. Mechanics: Fresh needles and quality thread.
3. Settings: Speed and Tension adjustments.

You now have the map. Open that menu, tap the paper icon, and take control of your craft.

Happy Stitching.

Note on Keyword Integration: If you are looking to expand your toolkit, simply searching for brother embroidery machine accessories often leads to compatible third-party upgrades like Sewtech frames that can modernize your older PE-700II workflow. Keep your brother embroidery hoops clean, but don't be afraid to try modern magnetic options for easier production.