Gazbo, having checked out what the Old Telegraph Track is like, online, wow! Would love to drive it!
So, one of your gas shocks broke, but the other one stayed intact despite the other end of the axle having no shock absorption at all! Looks to me like the bust shock had a manufacturing fault.
But you cannot base a criticism of all gas shocks on one failure. Millions of gas shocks are sold all over the world and you cannot fool all the people all the time. I think you were just incredibly unlucky or the shock was accidentally subjected to an unfortunate accident like a side impact with a rock or something.
You are absolutely right, the sales guy was a complete muppet and the best argument for your's having a fault was that the other one still put up with what it was subjected to! He should have replaced one free of charge. In the UK you'd deffo win a Small Claims Track case against the shop that sold it. It wasn't fit for use, unless, as I said it underwent an unfortunate accident, which should have been obvious from a bent rod, abrasion to the side of the shock tube or something.
So I still stick up for good quality gas shocks.
Of course, many fourbys running gas shocks, granted, and when I say mine ripped apart it was in fact the bottom pin (threaded bit with rubbers), of the bottom mount to the axle that broke off at the weld onto the bottom tube section, gas gone, oil gone.
These were not cheap or at least not supposed to be, ( $150 each here, $300 a pair, and I know you can pay much more), but compared to Armstrong, ($50 each), expensive.
As I said the "cheapies" have done a few trips into the same territory, with a trip across the Cape East to West along the Frenchman's Track twice, some of that is tough hard core four wheeling.
So in the context of the original post , "would these cheap shocks be ok to use?"
And then, "I'll buy gas shocks later, when I can afford them", or words to that effect, I'd say "don't waste your money", just my experience that's all, same with a lot of expensive " strap on 4x4 accessories, just benefits the shop you buy it from.
