I've owned a Bernina 1260 for 20 years and I still love that machine - quiet, not one problem after all these years. I bought a 440QE a few years ago and it was just as much a workhorse as the 1260. I coveted a larger harp and didn't want to pay the Bernina price for a machine that had it, so I bought a Janome 8200. I love having more space and the automatic thread cutter. I pieced a quilt when I got it and was happy with it. Then I decided to make a purse for my mom and had so much trouble on the 8200 that I had to go back to my Bernina. It couldn't sew a thick seam on the handle and the edgestitching foot did not perform well. My perspective is that the quality of Bernina is higher, as is the price. I will keep using the Janome and I will enjoy it for piecing but only because I have a Bernina when I want to do really precise detail sewing. If I could only have one machine, it would be a Bernina (but I would miss the larger harp).
Don't FMQ on any of them now but have done full quilts on the 1260 in the past and small things on the 440 using the BSR and had great results. You have to decide what the priority features are for you. Good luck with your decision and let us know what you choose.