I've run a variant of the 22 since early 2012 and have never felt the need to run the alloy idler gears.
I think the key thing is to make sure the axle the idler sits on is a snug fit in the gearbox case, to avoid any excess movement.
I also put the tiniest amount of black grease around the stepped half of the gear case, which creates a nice seal and stops any miniature dirt and debris getting in and wearing the gears.
As you state they are also an easy part to source and relatively cheap compared to the other things that could go wrong.
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