Probably just needs a tube

[bandersen]

I've heard this from just about every seller I've dealt with. Well, I put this to the test over the last few weeks.

When I was a teenager back in the early-mid 80s, I pulled and saved tubes out of every TV and radio I saw while riding my bike all around town. I still have over about a thousand of them and started testing and re-boxing them last month.

I've tested several 100 so far - the novelty wears off real fast

About 5% dead and 10% weak. The others test good to strong. I realize that running them in a real set is the best test, but am still surprised at how many are good.

I suppose many sets were tossed because they were just obsolete or only one tube died.

What do you think ?