Product · Brother
Brother Innov-is A80: 80 stitches, twin needle mode
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The Brother Innov-is A80 is a solid computerised machine for dressmakers and home sewists who want control features over a long stitch list. Its stand-out is the twin needle mode, which tells the machine you are using a twin needle so stitch width is limited to avoid breaking it. Along with needle up or down and start/stop, that makes it a practical machine for hems on knitwear and decorative topstitching.
- Stitches
- 80
- Buttonholes
- 8 styles
- Speed control
- Not stated
- Needle up/down
- Yes
- Weight
- 10 kg
In its favour
- Needle up or down and a twin needle mode are listed, useful for corners and twin needle hems.
- Eight buttonhole variants give a choice of styles for shirts, coats and knits.
- At 10 kg it is the heaviest machine here, so it should stay put on the table.
Good to know
- Parts of the listing are poorly translated, so check the exact feature list with the seller.
- A speed slider is not clearly mentioned in the listing.
Our take
Reading a rough listing
The Amazon text appears to be machine translated from German, with some garbled words. What can be read clearly: 80 stitch programs, eight buttonhole variants, a comfort needle threader, point locking, needle stop up or down, stitch length and width control, a start/stop button, a bright LED light and a hard cover. The spec table gives a 10 kg weight and a metal material.
Twin needle mode in daily use
A twin needle sews two parallel rows on top with a single zigzagging bobbin thread below. It is the standard home method for hemming T-shirts and jersey dresses, giving a stretchy, ready-to-wear finish. On machines without a twin needle setting, choosing too wide a stitch can hit the needle plate. The A80 selection mode removes that risk.
Locking stitches tie off seam ends neatly without reversing, a small convenience you notice when sewing many short seams.
Weight and stability
At 10 kg, the A80 is the heaviest machine in the computerised guide. That weight keeps it planted at speed and through thicker seams, though it is less suited to carrying to classes than the 5.44 kg Janome JW8100.
How it compares
The Brother Innov-is A65 is lighter with 60 stitches and adds an automatic thread cutter, which the A80 listing does not mention. For dressmaking, the Juki HZL-G220 lists box feed and 8 automatic buttonholes, and the Brother Innov-is F420 adds a thread cutter with box feed for jersey.
Who should choose differently
If you want a thread cutter, the A80 listing gives no sign of one. If you need a machine to take to classes weekly, its weight counts against it. Quilters wanting walking foot and wide table extras will find the Brother FS200CE better equipped out of the box.
Verdict
Choose the Brother Innov-is A80 if you sew a lot of knit hems and want twin needle mode, needle up or down and start/stop in a sturdy body. If thread trimming matters, the Brother Innov-is F420 or A65 suit you better, and if you need a light machine for classes, the Janome JW8100.
Compared with alternatives in: Best computerised sewing machines, Best sewing machines for dressmaking, Brother sewing machines compared
Amazon listing title: Brother Innov-is A80 Sewing machine, LCD screen and LED lighting White