Pre-lubed Hydraulic Lifters

One thing that confuses me is that the literature that came with my hydraulic lifters specifically said to soak them overnight in motor oil, and meanwhile lots of people say absolutely, positively DO NOT EVER soak them. Don't you think the manufacturer would know best?

I soaked mine and while I did have one lifter fail, I don't think it was because I soaked them. I think it was because there was too much dry cranking before startup. Put new lifters in (and soaked them as per the manufacturer's instructions), no problems whatsoever.