As Tattoo Bradley has pointed out, you're going to have the chanter for quite a long time. Currently I have a Dunbar standard length chanter in polypenco (delrin), however I'm considering trying a McCallum long chanter either in poly or blackwood. I'm willing to pay the $100 or so... because really, when you break it down, that's not a bad price for something you'll have potentially for the rest of your life!

My Dunbar was around $75, so not too far outside of your range, and worth it. I have no complaints with it at all, but, being a guitar player and never having been satisfied with just one guitar either, I'll experiment a bit and have a few chanters, I'm sure!