We did a drum mic shootout a while back and had around 7-8 tom mics that we tried. The venue we used had an EV X1 line array system installed. The drum mics we compared were :-
AKG D40
Audix D2/D4
EV PL35
Sennheiser E604
Shure PGA 56
plus a condenser (possibly the Beyer TG-D57c) and another dynamic from another brand.
All the engineers and drummers present chose the e604's and their clear favorites of the bunch. However, when it came to floor tom the Audix D6 kick drum mic was everyone's favorite! I've since compared the e604 to the e904 and still preferred the e604.
Richard, had I been in Europe for a beer and a visit, I would have completely agreed with this assessment
e604 on toms, D6 on kick. Of course, the MD421 may be a better choice for the kick for blues. I do mostly rock.
As for the durability on the e604, mine have been rock solid for a very long time (I am guessing around 10 years).