On Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 9:16:52 AM UTC-4, wrote:
My single experience with R/S "Lifetime" tubes does deserve mention. For a few years I worked in Saudi Arabia - and lived in Al Khobar, near the causeway to Bahrain. As we had a 'multiple' visa, we would visit Bahrain about every other weekend for unrestricted shopping and for the many interesting sights and sites. One of the locations visited was the Seef Mall, wherein was a Radio Shack.

I brought a couple of tube-type TransOceanics, and of all things found a Dynaco FM3 at a used electronics souk near Qatif. So, I had some tube stuff.. In any case, a 1U4 in my B600 developed an open filament, and it was a R/S Lifetime tube. So, on a whim, I took to to the Radio Shack at the Seef Mall.

The manager looked at it, said "Yes, Sir", and about 3 weeks later, a new 1U4 arrived. No warranty on the replacement, but it was good, and I did not have to pay anything. Service with a smile. This was in 2004.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA


Yep, I've heard similar stories. Some stories including young guns working the counter who didn't even know what a vacuum tube was or why it would have a lifetime warranty. But just as in your case, the tubes were duly ordered and replaced. Some of these were tubes like the pricy 7591s before the Russians started new production of them. I don't know where RS got the replacements but they kept their end of the bargain even if they did spend more to replace the tubes than they used to charge for them back when they were common items.