Garrett Vortex VX5 Metal Detector Overview
The Garrett Vortex VX5 is the entry model of the three-detector Vortex Series. It runs Garrett's MD-MF (Multi-Detect Multi-Frequency) platform with two frequency settings, 13 kHz and Multi-Frequency, and four search modes (Zero, Standard, USA Coins and Custom) plus Pinpoint. Targets read on one 0 to 99 Target ID scale with 3 audio tones. You also get 8 sensitivity settings, Iron Volume 1 to 8, notch discrimination, high-resolution iron discrimination, Iron Audio, ground balance and an 8-step Channel setting against electrical interference. Recovery speed is fixed and fast. The whole detector is fully waterproof to 16 ft (5 m), collapses for transport and weighs 3 lb (1.38 kg) with the 11 inch DD coil (8.5 x 11 inch) that comes in the box. The battery charges over USB-C, and Garrett backs the VX5 with a 3-year limited parts and labor warranty.
Vortex VX5 vs. Vortex VX7: Which Should You Buy?
The VX5 and VX7 share the chassis, the 11 inch DD coil, the 3 lb weight and the 16 ft waterproof rating. The VX7 adds a 5 kHz single frequency, the Multi-Salt multi-frequency setting, a Beach mode, a 2-tier Target ID display, 2 recovery speeds, a 5-tone option, built-in Z-Lynk wireless audio, and Bottlecap Reject and Iron Boundary you can adjust in Multi-Frequency (4 settings each). Garrett also rates the VX7 for more sensitivity and depth than the VX5. One step further, the VX9 adds three more single frequencies, Thin Coins and Fast modes and a 3-tier Target ID.
Garrett's advice on salt water is direct: the VX5 is submersible to 16 ft for freshwater edges and shallow water, and for regular saltwater beach hunting Garrett points to the VX7 or VX9, because they have Multi-Salt. If you mostly hunt parks, yards, fields and lakes, the VX5 covers that at the lowest Vortex price. If ocean beaches are part of your regular hunting, we recommend starting with the VX7.
Vortex VX5, Best For:
- New and returning detectorists who want a waterproof multi-frequency detector with four simple search modes
- Park, yard and schoolyard coin and jewelry hunting, where the fast fixed recovery speed helps with targets close together
- Freshwater beaches, lake edges and shallow water, with the whole detector waterproof to 16 ft
Vortex VX7, Best For:
- Saltwater beach and surf hunters who need Multi-Salt and Beach mode
- Hunters who want to set recovery speed, Bottlecap Reject and Iron Boundary themselves
- Detectorists who want a second single frequency (5 kHz) and the 2-tier Target ID display
VX5 Settings That Matter in the Field
From the factory the VX5 starts in Standard mode at sensitivity 6, Multi-Frequency, Iron Volume 4, Channel 4 and Iron Audio off. Standard notches out most iron and suits relics, jewelry and most international coins. USA Coins is set up for U.S. coins and rejects common trash such as iron, foil and pull-tabs. Zero detects every metal, and Custom keeps your own settings after the detector is switched off.
Garrett's quick start method for ground balance is to hold the Ground Balance button while bouncing the coil until the ground response is minimal. We do that first at every new site, then raise sensitivity one step at a time and back off a step if the threshold starts to chatter. If the VX5 gets noisy near power lines or another detector, change the Channel before you lower sensitivity. Iron Volume sets how loud iron sounds, so you can keep hearing iron without it drowning out good tones. The Target ID can show more than one cursor when two targets sit under the coil.
Where the Vortex VX5 Works Best and Its Limits
The VX5 fits city parks, yards, fairgrounds, open fields and freshwater beaches, where Garrett positions it for coins, jewelry and everyday targets. Its fast fixed recovery is an advantage in busy park ground with pull-tabs and caps close to good targets. For water hunting, Garrett's quick start guide says wired headphones are needed for fully submerged use, and that you should lock the buttons (press plus and minus together three times) before going deeper than 6 ft (2 m).
The VX5 has no Multi-Salt or Beach mode, so ocean wet sand is VX7 or VX9 territory, and its Bottlecap Reject and Iron Boundary are fixed. It is also not a gold nugget detector: for small gold in mineralized ground, Garrett makes the Goldmaster 24k and the pulse induction Axiom.
Coils and Accessories That Fit the Vortex VX5
All Vortex coils fit the VX5, VX7 and VX9. Three accessory DD coils sit next to the 11 inch stock coil, and we recommend each for a different job: the 5 x 8 inch Ripper for tight spaces and iron-heavy spots, the narrow 6 x 11 inch Viper for working between targets along fences and walls, and the large 14 x 11 inch Reaper for covering more open ground per sweep. The 8.5 x 11 inch Raider is a replacement in the stock coil's size. For the park and yard hunting most VX5 owners do, we recommend the Ripper as the second coil: its small footprint gets between trash, and the fixed fast recovery keeps up with it.
The VX5 works with wired headphones, and for fully submerged hunting we recommend the wired Garrett Submersible Headphones for Vortex. If you want wireless audio, the VX7 and VX9 have Z-Lynk built in and pair with Garrett's Z-Lynk headphones. The Garrett Pro-Pointer AT pinpointers are waterproof to 20 ft (6 m), so they go anywhere the VX5 goes.
Vortex Series Comparison: VX5, VX7 and VX9
All three Vortex models share the MD-MF platform, the 11 inch DD coil, the 3 lb weight and a 16 ft waterproof rating. The differences sit in frequencies, search modes, Target ID tiers, recovery speed and the adjustable iron and bottlecap settings.
| Feature | Vortex VX5 | Vortex VX7 | Vortex VX9 |
|---|
| Target ID Scale (MD-MF) | One scale, 0 to 99 | 2-tier scales | 3-tier scales |
| Frequencies | 13 kHz, Multi-Freq. | 5, 13 kHz, Multi-Freq., Multi-Salt | 5, 9, 13, 18, 25 kHz, Multi-Freq., Multi-Salt |
| Search Modes | Zero, Standard, USA Coins, Custom | Zero, Standard, USA Coins, Beach, Custom | Zero, Standard, USA Coins, Thin Coins, Beach, Custom, Fast |
| Recovery Speed | Fixed (fast) | 2 settings | 3 settings |
| Bottlecap Reject (Multi-Freq. only) | Fixed | 4 settings | 6 settings (0 to 5) |
| Iron Boundary (Multi-Freq. only) | Fixed | 4 settings | 6 settings (0 to 5) |
| Number of Tones | 3 | 3, 5 | 2, 3, 5 |
| Increased Sensitivity / Depth | No (base level) | Yes | Yes |
| Sensitivity Settings | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Iron Volume | 1 to 8 | 1 to 8 | 1 to 8 |
| Ground Balance | Auto | Auto | Auto |
| Wireless Audio | No | Z-Lynk built in | Z-Lynk built in |
| Included Coil | 11 inch DD (8.5 x 11 inch) | 11 inch DD (8.5 x 11 inch) | 11 inch DD (8.5 x 11 inch) |
| Weight (with 8.5 x 11 inch coil) | 3 lb (1.38 kg) | 3 lb (1.38 kg) | 3 lb (1.38 kg) |
| Length (adjustable) | 24.75 to 56.75 inch (62.86 to 144.14 cm) | 24.75 to 56.75 inch (62.86 to 144.14 cm) | 24.75 to 56.75 inch (62.86 to 144.14 cm) |
| Fully Waterproof To | 16 ft (5 m) | 16 ft (5 m) | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Charging | Rechargeable, USB-C | Rechargeable, USB-C | Rechargeable, USB-C |
| Warranty | 3 years, limited parts and labor | 3 years, limited parts and labor | 3 years, limited parts and labor |
For a side-by-side walk through all three, read our Garrett Vortex VX5 vs VX7 vs VX9 guide.
Why Buy the Garrett Vortex VX5 from Serious Detecting?
- Free Shipping on Orders Over $99: Your Garrett Vortex VX5 ships at no extra cost across the continental US.
- Authorized Garrett Dealer: Showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan, full 3-year manufacturer warranty and product registration support.
- Help Before and After You Buy: Our staff answer setup, coil and Vortex VX5 questions by phone or email.
