1) Yeah I don't like the Tetrix servos either. Last year my team ruined a few servos because they tried to make it go 360°, but they broke the mechanical stop.
2) Yes Tetrix parts are expensive, but if you have contact with an FTC team, you can have them buy Tetrix parts for you at a 30% discount here:
http://parts.ftcrobots.com
(Discount only applies to FTC teams)