Vacuum tubes can be ridiculously strong, to the point that they would be more reliable than transistors for some applications (vibration proof and higher EMP resilience, for instance). The problems are usually microphony (parts of the tube picking up vibrations from their environment and passing those on to the signal as though they are modulation) and the need to shed a fair amount of heat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse#...

I remember when somebody first told me about vacuum tubes in WWII-era proximity fuzes.[1] I thought they were pulling my leg.

[1]: https://www.historynet.com/proximity-fuze.htm