I can't say that I keep russians exclusively but my first hive 4 years ago was russians (a daughter of a certified RHBA queen). I still have grand daughters and great-granddaughters of that queen and as of today's hive inspections (worked them without gloves, in short sleeve, veil and light smoke) they are still, by far, my favorite.
Now, to your question on honey production. I have had other bees that seem to gather more nectar and others that may seem more docile (if there isn't a flow or something to do, they will all be on guard duty) but I have never had any that are more hardy and resistant to things that seem to effect most other bees. They winter in a very small cluster so stores are not blown through like others but they do build up fast and earlier than most bees. I would presume that is where they get their reputation for a tendency to swarm. I learned this the hard way but now a little early swarm prevention goes a long way. They don't need a lot babying or special attention so if one were to weigh the amount of time and resources needed to care for other bees that may collect more honey vs. a bee that needs little attention it could be argued that less honey with less work could be more value. IMO.
Oh, I also didn't treat for 2 years because I was new/forgot/lazy/(insert excuse here) and they never missed a beat.
