You might also consider the Icom AH-4. It plugs into the back of the rig and you can
operate it with the rig tune button. There was a used one on QRZ.com yesterday at a reasonable
price.
I have also owned several LDG tuners and they work fine.
One of the big problems with the tuner and 8 ft whip is that on 30-80 meters is the
tuner will appear to tune the antenna but the voltage at the base of the antenna can
become very high and I have arced over and destroyed half a dozen base insulators
over the years. Even many of the big hefty insulators seem to break down over time and
fail when running 100 watts.
Other considerations: Hustler mast with the band resonator These work well and you
can get a little adaptor plate and have resonators for three bands at the same time. These
are readily available used.
If you can survive single band operation, then consider a "Ham Stick" whip. The cost is
low and they work well.
I'm a old guy and getting out and changing whips gets old real quick. The screw driver
antenna is a great way to go but as you said, the cost is obnoxious.
Good luck, and hope you find the combination that works well for you. Most of us who
have been on the air for years have a garage full of old antennas and parts left over
from previous attempts to find the ultimate antenna....