bernette 59 vs Elna eXpressive 860
Technical comparison · Sewing and embroidery combos
Two combos with the embroidery unit included: what separates them is the height of the field, 120 mm on the bernette 59 and 170 mm on the Elna eXpressive 860, which also reaches 200 mm on the long side against 180. Sizes and speeds quoted here are manufacturer-declared values.
| Parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Use tier | F2 — Intermediate | F3 — Advanced |
| Price | ||
| Price | ~1000–2200 € | — |
| Universal specs | ||
| Dimensions (W×D×H) | — | 47.5 × 22.3 × 31.6 cm |
| Weight | — | 10.4 kg |
| Category specs | ||
| Depth with embroidery unit | — | 336 mm |
| Embroidery area, long side | 180 mm | 200 mm |
| Embroidery area, short side | 120 mm | 170 mm |
| Weight with embroidery unit | — | 13.8 kg |
| Embroidery unit | Included | Included |
| Maximum embroidery speed | 600 spm | 800 spm |
| Built-in embroidery designs | 268 | 171 |
| Built-in embroidery fonts | 11 | 3 |
| Machine weight | — | 10.4 kg |
| Supported file formats | EXP (Melco), PES (Brother), DST (Tajima), JEF (Janome), VP3 (Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff) | — |
| Machine width | — | 475 mm |
| Connectivity | — | USB |
| Machine height | — | 316 mm |
| Design memory | — | 3 Mb |
| Machine depth | — | 223 mm |
| Included hoops | 2 telai inclusi, fra cui il Multi-Position Hoop 120 x 300 mm | 2 standard embroidery hoops : 170 mm x 200 mm and 140 mm x 140 mm |
| On-screen design editing | Yes | Yes |
| LED lights | 2 | 5 |
| Stitch selection | — | Touchscreen |
| Maximum speed | 800 spm | 1000 spm |
| Built-in stitches | 500 | 200 |
| Buttonhole styles | — | 6 |
| Stitch types | — | Straight stitch, Zigzag stitch, Triple stretch straight stitch, Three-step zigzag, Blind hem stitch, Stretch blind hem stitch, Elastic overlock stitch |
| Maximum stitch width | 7 mm | 9 mm |
| Maximum stitch length | 5 mm | 5 mm |
| Needle system | 130/705 H | — |
| Space to the right of the needle | 170 mm | 210 mm |
| Arm workspace height | — | 120 mm |
| Hook type | — | Horizontal rotary |
| Feed dog pieces | — | 7 |
| Drop feed | Yes | — |
| Needle threader | Semi-automatic | Built-in |
| Automatic thread cutter | Yes | Yes |
| Knee lifter | — | Yes |
| Adjustable presser foot pressure | Yes | Yes |
| Free arm | Yes | Yes |
| Thread tension | — | Automatic |
| Display | Colour touchscreen | Colour touchscreen |
| Display size | 3.5 in | — |
| Start/stop button | Yes | Yes |
| Independent bobbin winder | — | Yes |
| Thread sensors | Bobbin, Upper thread | Upper thread, Bobbin |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, App | — |
| Included presser feet | 8 | — |
The differences that matter
- Field and hoops → 180 × 120 mm with a 120 × 300 mm hoop on the bernette, 200 × 170 mm with 170 × 200 and 140 × 140 mm hoops on the Elna: long, narrow motifs on one side, full designs on the other.
- Built-in lettering and designs → 11 fonts and 268 designs against 3 fonts and 171 designs: for monograms and lettering the bernette offers more choice.
- File transfer → Wi-Fi and app on the bernette, USB on the Elna.
Which one to choose
Choose bernette 59 if…
Lettering and narrow borders, with designs coming from different software: the machine reads EXP, PES, DST, JEF and VP3, a design can be edited on the display, and the 120 × 300 mm hoop supplied suits long motifs. It also has 500 built-in stitches. The trade-off is a field that stops at 120 mm in height.
Choose Elna eXpressive 860 if…
Full designs up to 170 mm tall, stitched with the 170 × 200 mm hoop supplied and a declared speed of up to 800 spm (stitches per minute). For bulky projects there are 210 mm to the right of the needle, a knee lifter and automatic thread tension. The trade-off is a smaller built-in repertoire: 200 stitches instead of 500.
Where to buy
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