# Brother KH 400 knitting machine



## nsnewfie1996 (Nov 19, 2011)

someone in my local area has a Brother KH 400 knitting machine for sale for $300, she said it was only used twice and is five years old. Can anyone enlighten me on this machine.... is it worth the money, is it easy to use, is it a good brand name for knitting machines.


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

I would type the make and model in your search engine on the internet and see if it will knit the things you want, I saw a Brother KH840 for sale on ebay for $200.00. I have that make & model metal bed knitting machine and it knits beautifully; lace, fine lace, tuck, slip, fairisle & knitweaving you can add a ribbing attachment, and create even more beautiful fabrics, to this km as well. Look around it's worth it to do a little research.
There is a brother comp chart at daisyknits.com you can review. I know about Brother KMs as that is the brand I have. Other knitters love their singer, silver reed and other metal bed KM brands. You just need to do a little research to find the best machine for you.

Hope this helps


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## ScotKnits (Sep 2, 2011)

klomond said:


> someone in my local area has a Brother KH 400 knitting machine for sale for $300, she said it was only used twice and is five years old. Can anyone enlighten me on this machine.... is it worth the money, is it easy to use, is it a good brand name for knitting machines.


I have 3 Brother electronic machines and they made great machines but have not made any new machines since 1996. This machine was introduced by Brother in 1955, is a dual-gauge convertible manual machine. It will do standard or bulky gauge knitting. I believe it is a plastic machine & parts/accessories may be difficult to find. This is a very old model and I would try googling this model & see what you can find out before buying it. (I found a KH400 on ebay for $149.00.) There are many used machines with metal beds available that would do a variety of pattern stitches and for very good prices. Perhaps some of the other KP machine knitting members have more info on this particular machine....Liz


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## euvid (Apr 2, 2011)

Sad to say but there are many liars out there who take advantage of people who know nothing about the machines. Good you checked here. Tell her you looked into it and that she must be mistaken and offer her the $150 or better yet get a different machine. FOr the $300 you can get a metal machine on eBay and go to http://www.scanthecat.com/html/bnro_machines.html to see what she says about the model # before you buy. SHe does not list hat model in her Brother info list however, just the mmodels from #500s and up. Look also at the SInger, Studios as well as the Brothers as love mine. 
THere are some really nice machines on eBay right now for sale. Just make sure they have all theri parts and are in working order.


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## iiwoody (Nov 3, 2011)

I'm not sure if that is the convertible (4.5 to 9)or the fold up one (4.5). Either way...too much.


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## euvid (Apr 2, 2011)

The fold up is the Singer MK 70 and they go for around that price or more. THey are neat as they come in a sewing machine type case.


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## tpmcgoo2 (Mar 7, 2011)

hasn't it been longer than that since brother quit making machines? not sure but wondering if the age is right?


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## hobbyknitter (May 7, 2011)

Yes the 400 is a convertible machine, it can be set up for standard or bulky but any standard gauge machine using EON will be a bulky as well. I found the tools for the standard part was not good to work with. Now it may be that she only had it for 5 years and she only used it a couple times, but even so the sponge strip could be bad and needs replacing, which is easy enough to find that sponge strip. I have seen them go for around that price, you can go into the Advanced search of eBay and put in that machine model and search for finished listings to see. Some will try and get top dollar for it as well as other machines. I lucked out with a few and paid minimum for them but also paid normal for others. Brother as well as Singer/Studio/Silver Reed machines are easy enough, one just needs to know how it works or go by the manual to get it going. Some of the manuals you may find online for free where others charge for that manual. The 400 is very similar to the KX350 but the difference is the 350 is a mid gauge. Hope this helps.


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## ScotKnits (Sep 2, 2011)

tpmcgoo2 said:


> hasn't it been longer than that since brother quit making machines? not sure but wondering if the age is right?


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## ScotKnits (Sep 2, 2011)

ScotKnits said:


> tpmcgoo2 said:
> 
> 
> > hasn't it been longer than that since brother quit making machines? not sure but wondering if the age is right?


I bought my Brother Compuknit Bulky in 1994 & I read on Yarns-and.com that the KH970 was the last model manufactured in 1996. I also thought it had been longer since they stopped making machines......Liz


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## MKDesigner (Jan 27, 2014)

I have the Brother KX390, but do have the 400 carriage (no machine, just the carriage) and use it more than the one that came with my 390. It has several features that I use, like plating and Intarsia. Both the 390 & the 400 are 'convertible' from 4.5mm to 9mm. I like that, I can switch from standard to bulky literally in less than a minute. 

Right now, with my eye problems, I can only use either the 390-9mm or my HK100. I do miss working with my standard metal beds (Bro890 & Knitting CK III), but have hopes the eyes will settle down (diabetes tanked).
Marge


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## randiejg (Oct 29, 2011)

The KH-400 is definitely the plastic-bed convertible machine (4.5mm standard, 9.0mm bulky/chunky). It's a nice little machine, (I have one somewhere in my collection) but very definitely not anywhere near only five years old. Perhaps the person owned it for five years and only used it twice (and I would wonder about that, suspecting perhaps the machine was not in good working order and they gave up on it). Since it's plastic, there's no possibility to add a ribber. If you want the capability of a 4.5mm and a 9mm in one machine, it may work well for you, but look around to see if you can locate one for a better price, and if you decide to go for the one in your local area, definitely say you want to try it out first. It will most likely need a new sponge bar (which could be the problem if the owner had trouble knitting on it), and you will want to be sure all of the items listed in the manual are included and not lost. Most could probably be replaced, but some may be hard to find.

If you do go to look at the machine, and it has a worn out sponge bar, easily replaceable missing tools, etc., that could help you negotiate the price way down. If the seller thinks you're going to walk away from the deal because of this, they'll likely come down with the price. It would be worth checking on the price for the spongebar (with shipping), just so you have an idea of how much that would cost to replace.


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## MaryAnneCutler (Jul 31, 2013)

nsnewfie1996 said:


> someone in my local area has a Brother KH 400 knitting machine for sale for $300, she said it was only used twice and is five years old. Can anyone enlighten me on this machine.... is it worth the money, is it easy to use, is it a good brand name for knitting machines.


.
The owner may have bought it 5 years ago, but the machine itself is 30 years old. If the plastic is not brittle and starting to crack, it may have many years of life left in it. It is a very useful machine.

Price, my guess $200.00 Cdn

Mary Anne, ON. Canada
Http://www.cutlermac.wordpress.com


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## MKDesigner (Jan 27, 2014)

Isn't the Brother 395 the same as the Brother 400? Just different mfg/marketing areas/countries? I use the manual for the Brother 395 when I'm working with the 390 with the 400 carriage. It shows the plating & intarsia instructions. So I assumed they were one in the same machine.

Marge


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