Troy Shadow X5
Street Price $1000 - Coin, relic
Number of Reviews: 15
on 2 pages.
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Also in this price range:
Whites DFX
Fisher Coin Strike
Troy Shadow X5
Shadow X-5
R.L. Johnson in NE Ohio -I am a person who wants to try all detectors in the search for the perfect coin detector and I finally got a chance to try the x5. I bought this mint x-5 a couple of weeks ago and in that time I have used it for about 20 hours. I started with a fresh Duracell battery and the battery check is still indicating a full battery, so that is a plus. The first thing you notice about the x5 is how light it is. About the same a a Tesoro Umax. Also, you will notice the quality of build. Every piece is well thought out and built like no other detector I have used. Coil cord and cord reliefs are top notch as are the switches and knobs. The first time I used it, I set it up with the disc set just below nickle and I used th coin check switch to check the conductivity of my targets. The manual states that a silver or copper coin will ring in when the zinc check is activated. On some coins, I got a clear signal, but on others, I got quick fuzzy beep and then static while sweeping over the target. I intially ignored these fuzzy signals and I dug very few coins. After 10 hours or so, I decided to check out what was giving these half hearted signals. They turned out to be copper pennies and clad dimes. I learned a valuable lesson. Next, I started using the nickle check function. The manual states that nickles or possibly gold will not produce a signal in the nickle check toggle position. I only dug one nickle and was slightly disappointed in this feature. Again after 10 hours or so, I started digging the signals that were causing static and very poor signals in nickle check. Bam, I started digging nickles and DEEP nickles. Today I dug a V nickle and a Buffalo nickle and both were 8 inches or so deep. I hunt for coins and I like the coin check feature of the x5. Another trait that is becoming more clear to me is the audio. It is not digital and after some hours on the detector you can start to tell pull tabs without increasing the disc. They have a shrill about them compared to coins. Also, the audio has a soft quick blip on a coin. The pinpoint button does not fizzle out when you are half way through pinpointing. This audio lets you size the object and decide whether to dig or not. The deeper the target, the softer the signal. I like that on any detector. I have also played around with sweep speed and you can sweep slow or fast without missing too many targets. Competition hunters will like this. What I don't like. This detector is super sensitive to brass and lead. I have dug some brass rivets and small buck shot at depths that are DEEP. These small targets sound like a deep coin with the modulation of the audio and the pinpoint. I am a coin hunter and I don't like getting bogged down in the trashy parks I hunt digging split shot and rivets. The relic hunters like this power, but I don't. I usually try a detector for a couple of months and move on to the next one, but I think I'm going to give the Shadow more time next spring. All in all, a pretty neat detector, but not perfect.
Oct 09, 2009
2 Yes
0 No
Great quality - average performance
Bill in Ohio -
I've owned the X5 and the X3. Took them to Detecting In Virginia twice. Had Troy Galloway give me a personal demonstration on ground balance (for the X5). My opinion? Very well built machines. However, I have to agree with a lot of people that the cult/hype simply doesn't justify the extravagant cost. Tesoro makes machines (Tejon and Vaquero) that are VERY similar in performance, but at about half the price. As a matter of fact, I find the Tesoros to be a lot simpler to understand than the Troy's. So my bottom line? Troy's are good machines. But they are nowhere near worth the cost. You can get similar machines (e.g. Tesoros) that perform just as well, at 50% of the price. I am in no way affilitated with Tesoro.... in case you are wondering. Sorry Troy.
Aug 01, 2009
5 Yes
5 No
Finds a lot of iron!!!!
Peter in Hove Sussex -You will have to dig a lot of iron with this machine, if you discrim out iron fully , you will loose gold.
May 04, 2009
4 Yes
5 No
Simple and the best
Jevgenijss in Europe -
I have owned more than twenty detectors of other brands ,during 10 years of THunting this detector was one of my best and favorite , all terrain detector - it's true , one of the deepest and the lightest machines , fast response , I love it......
May 09, 2007
25 Yes
6 No
Shadow X5
Ron in Irving, TX -
The X5 I bought was a well built detector but condsidering there are detectors available at half the price that perform as well or better the performance didn't come close to justifying the price.
Dec 15, 2006
11 Yes
19 No
Shadow X5
Rick@UK in London UK -I have been detecting for quite some time and decided to buy the X5 after using a cheap Minelab Musketeer,and after 7 months out every weekend with it ,my finds rate dropped like a lead balloon,i seeked the help from other X5 owners and even phoned Troy himself to help on certain problems,the biggest being its liking for Iron,trouble is you have to dig just in case it is something good.The build quality is like a Rolls Royce,but that does not produce quality finds,alas it had to go,lucky i was able to sell it on for a very small loss,and have since bought a Whites DFX.
Sorry for being negative,but it just did not live up to its cult status.
Rick.....
Oct 18, 2006
19 Yes
26 No
Shadow X5
Randy in USA -The Shadow X5 is a well built detector and is very good in moderate to mild mineralization. However, it doesn't do well in areas of higher mineralization, it's noisy like the Fisher 1266 and doesn't reject iron very well at all, not nearly as well as most other detectors I've used. It's overall performance is no better than most of the detectors I've had in the last 10 years, not as good as some I've had, and certainly not worth the price I paid for it. The X5 would be a decent buy for half it's price but it was way overpriced at close to $1'000.
Sep 24, 2006
7 Yes
11 No
X5
Roger L. in Grove Hill, AL -Perhaps the best build quality of any detector, but given the cult type devotion and hype from dedicated X series users the performance was a disappointment. Depth and target sensitivity was typical of detectors in it's frequency range--good on low conductors, average on mid range conductors and poor on high conductors. A second X5 was tested to insure the first one was operating correctly, both had identical performance. A decent buy at half its price, not so at full price.
Jan 25, 2006
12 Yes
16 No
The Porche Speedster of Metal Detectors
Mark R. in Santa Cruz, CA -When I was a kid, my father had a '54 Porche Speedster--one of those "bathtub" convertibles. It was painted bright red. It had a very simple panel--just the basics--and a modest engine. But it would pass anything in a tight curve--it loved curves, and the driver could really feel the road. Well, the Troy Shadow X5 is a lot like that car.
I've had my X5 for two years. I do coin shooting in parks and dry beach sand and some relic hunting. Sometimes I take the detector backpacking. It's wonderfully light weight and rugged, and the single 9V battery lasts for three long, eight-hour days of detecting.
The X5 is very good for small targets, perhaps because of the relatively high 19 kHz frequency. It finds small jewelry, lead shot, and similar items. As you'd expect, the 7 inch coil is particularly good for this, but I also do well with the 9 inch if the soil is not too trashy. Push the VCO/no motion mode button and X5 pinpoints very well.
I've used it in black sand and highly mineralized soils and it worked reasonably well. I even used once to hunt for gold nuggets. While I didn't find any gold that day, the very small lead shot and mineralized rocks I did find makes me believe that if there had been a large nugget, I would have found it. BTW, like all TR VLF detectors, it does not work in salt water.
On larger targets, it will go deeper than I usually want to dig. Every manufacturer claims their detectors go the deepest, but the X5 has not disappointed me (in the conditions around here--beyond that I can't say).
I've owned several other detectors. I gave my last target ID detector away when I bought the X5 and I would do it again. Every feature on the X5 works exactly as advertised, and I can't think of anything I would change to improve it. But no one detector is right for everybody.
The performance of the X5 depends a lot on the driver--maybe that's why reviewer's disagree. The more you use it, the better the results will be. But you have to be willing to really listen to the signal and to use the Target Check switch effectively.
Unlike some detectors, the X5 is very predictable, stable and fast, so it gives you consistently good information. And since all the information is audio and all the controls can be worked by touch, you can keep your eyes on the road (and watching where you step). But it's up to you to do the driving.
Is it worth the money? That depends. If you plan on doing a lot of detecting, or carrying your detector long distances, or you want a rugged unit that won't let you down, then yes. If you like to use a different detector for each situation, or you like to fiddle with menus, then obviously the X5 is not for you. Or if you're on a tight budget.
One last point: make sure your headphones have a volume control, becaues the X5 doesn't.
Nov 07, 2005
28 Yes
2 No
Shadow X5
Allen M. in Chatanoogo, TN -The X5 is a well made detector but like the John N I found it to be way overrated. It has great depth at some places and barely average depth at other places. It also makes lots of noise like a Fisher 1265 I had. I talked to Mr. Galloway on the phone and he told me to set the ground balance different. I did like he told me but it still makes lots of noise. It cost too much too. It would be okay for a third of what it cost but is not worth $985.
Oct 08, 2005
11 Yes
18 No
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