The replacement cost on the 13-28 Shimano freewheel on my folder is about $15.00 (but I buy at cost) and it rides on a Suzue cartridge bearing hub which is of very decent quality... I do not anticipate any axle bending.

With a triple it gives me all the range I need to tour and commute on and it is also getting used as a tow vehicle for my trailer... have found that decent freewheels offer great service life and can exceed that of many cassette cogs but even if they didn't a cassette is 3 times the cost.

Old Suntour freewheels are very nice and made of bette materials that Shimano's basic freewheels... they give up a little in the shifting department but are much smoother running.

A really good freewheel (IRD) is about as expensive as a decent cassette and is a much more complex unit having more pawls and about 100 bearings to support load stresses... I think freehubs are still overpriced for what they are.