Skull Shaver sells its head shavers under the Pitbull name, and it sells several of them at once. If you have already decided you want a rotary head shaver for a bald or close-cropped head rather than a razor or a foil, the question that is left is which Pitbull to buy: the Platinum PRO, the Gold PRO, the Silver PRO or the smaller, cheaper Palm.

This page is for exactly that decision. It compares the four Pitbull head shavers most buyers land on – the Platinum PRO PX5, Gold PRO GX5, Silver PRO SX5 and Palm MX5 – covering what they genuinely share, what actually changes as you pay more, and which one suits which reader. Skull Shaver also sells two dearer Pitbulls, the Diamond Jet and Diamond PRO, and keeps the previous-generation Gold PRO, Palm and Platinum PRO on the shelf below these; those sit outside this comparison, which is here to settle the four mainstream models. If you have not yet settled whether a rotary shaver is the right tool at all, start with foil versus rotary and with the question of whether to shave your head in the first place.

What a Pitbull is, and who it suits

Every Pitbull is a cordless rotary head shaver. Instead of one blade, it carries four small rotary cutters on flexible heads that follow the curve of a scalp, and it is built to be held in the palm and moved over the head rather than gripped like a razor. Skull Shaver makes the blades from Japanese stainless steel and describes them as hypoallergenic; the blades are spring-loaded, so they retreat into the housing if you press too hard, and the motor slows as a signal to ease off. Each model is designed for wet or dry use and charges by USB.

That design suits a reader who shaves the head, or head and face, on a regular basis and wants a fast pass without watching a blade. It is not a clipper: it will not take a long or thick head of hair down to nothing, and like any rotary shaver it works on short growth. It is also not a wet razor or a foil, so if you measure a shave by how close a blade feels against the skin, this is a different tool. Decide that first, because the model you pick will not change it. If you are weighing electric against a traditional razor more broadly, that comparison is the better place to start.

What the four models share

Here is the part that makes the choice simpler than four model names suggest. The current Pitbulls are not separated by the shaving mechanism. All four use the same multi-directional four-head rotary design, the same spring-loaded Japanese stainless steel blade construction, the same hair-capture chambers that hold clippings, the same detachable blades that rinse clean under the tap, and the same USB charging and wet-or-dry use. On the thing the shaver is for, the heads work the same way across the range.

What actually changes as you pay more

The differences sit in four places: the blade that ships in the box, the accessories, the warranty, and the run time and water rating. The brand names two different four-head blades across the range, and the split matters when you compare prices:

Forte 4Head PRO blade – the Platinum PRO PX5 and the Gold PRO GX5. Carver 4Head PRO blade – the Silver PRO SX5 and the Palm MX5.

Above that, accessories and warranty do most of the separating. The Platinum PRO PX5 is the only model that includes a rinse stand as well as a travel case, and the only one with a two-year warranty; the Gold PRO includes a travel case but a one-year warranty; the Silver PRO and the Palm include neither. Run time and water rating fall into two tiers, and the Palm trades both for a smaller body: it is the only model shaped to sit in the palm rather than fill the hand. Current prices are on the cards below, since they move with the market.

Pitbull Platinum PRO PX5

The Platinum PRO PX5 is the top of the four models compared here and the most complete box. Skull Shaver lists it with the Forte 4Head PRO blade, a Deluxe Travel Case, a Platinum Rinse Stand, a USB wall adapter and cord, a rubber charging-port cover and a two-year warranty – the only two-year cover in the line. Skull Shaver rates it at 90 minutes of cordless use, with a travel lock that stops it switching on in a bag, a battery display, and IPX7 water resistance for use in the shower. It is also the model the brand describes as carrying an upgraded motor over the previous Platinum PRO.

It suits a reader who wants the full set – the stand to keep it clean and ready on a counter, the case for travel, and the longer warranty – and is prepared to pay the most for it. The trade-off is that most of what you are buying over the Gold PRO is the stand, the warranty and the finish, not a different shave: both use the same Forte 4Head PRO blade and the same 90-minute battery. The card below is the bonus-blade bundle Amazon lists, which adds a second CR-3 head alongside the 4-head PRO blade.

Pitbull Gold PRO GX5

The Gold PRO GX5 is the value pick of the two Forte-blade models. It ships with the same Forte 4Head PRO blade and a blue Pitbull travel case, plus the USB adapter and charging-port cover, on a one-year warranty. Skull Shaver rates it at the same 90 minutes of cordless use and the same IPX7 water resistance as the Platinum, and gives it an LCD battery display. Like the Platinum, it is described as an upgraded version of the previous Gold PRO with a more powerful motor, and it works in plug-and-shave mode if you have not charged it.

It suits the reader who wants the Forte blade, the longer run time, the higher water rating and a case, but does not need the rinse stand or the extra year of warranty. Compared with the Platinum the saving is real for a shave that uses the same blade family; the thing you give up is the stand, the cover length and the premium finish. For most buyers this is the model the rest of the range is measured against.

Pitbull Silver PRO SX5

The Silver PRO SX5 is the lowest-priced full-size Pitbull. It ships with the Carver 4Head PRO blade, the USB adapter and charging-port cover, on a one-year warranty, and no case. Skull Shaver rates it at 70 minutes of cordless use from a 1,400 mAh battery and IPX6 water resistance – a step below the IPX7 of the two Forte models – and it also runs in plug-and-shave mode.

It suits a reader who wants a full-size Pitbull for the least money and does not need a case or the longer battery, or who keeps the shaver at home rather than travelling with it. The trade-offs are the shorter run time, the lower water rating and the different blade; the brand positions it as the value option in the range, which is a fair description of where its price sits.

Palm MX5

The Palm MX5 is the compact model. It is shaped to sit in the palm rather than fill the hand, which makes it easier for small hands or for reaching the back of the head, and it is the lightest and cheapest way into the line. It ships with the Carver 4Head PRO blade, the USB adapter and charging-port cover, on a one-year warranty and with no case. Skull Shaver rates it at up to 60 minutes of cordless use and IPX6 water resistance, and describes the current version as an upgrade from the older three-head CR3 design to a four-head PRO blade.

It suits a reader who shaves on the move, wants the smallest and least expensive Pitbull, or finds a full-size handle awkward. The trade-off is exactly the small size: the shortest run time in the range, the lower water rating, no numeric battery display and no case. If you shave daily at home, the larger Silver PRO or Gold PRO will do the job with fewer charges.

Which one to buy

If you want the Forte 4Head PRO blade, the longer 90-minute battery and the best water resistance without paying for a stand, buy the Gold PRO GX5. It is the model most buyers should end up with, and the case makes it practical to travel with.

Pay the extra for the Platinum PRO PX5 when the rinse stand, the two-year warranty and the bonus blade are worth it to you – if the shaver will live on a counter and you want it cleaned and charged on a stand, that is a genuine convenience rather than a stronger shave.

Choose the Silver PRO SX5 if you want the full-size Pitbull at the lowest price and can live with 70 minutes and IPX6, and the Palm MX5 if size and weight matter more than run time. Whichever you pick, the head does the same work; you are choosing how it is stored, how long it runs and how long it is covered.

What none of them will do

A Pitbull will not cut long hair. If the hair on your head is more than a few days’ growth, run a clipper over it first – the rotary heads are built for short, regular growth, not for removing bulk. It will not give you the pressed-flat closeness of a foil finisher against the skin, and it will not treat razor bumps or ingrown hairs, which are a skin problem rather than a shaving-tool one. Where the two formats suit different readers is covered in the foil shaver guide, and a cross-brand look at head shavers sits in the head shaver roundup; for the wider electric-shaver choice, the electric shaver guide is the hub.

Keeping it cutting cleanly

A rotary head shaver is only as good as its heads, and the Pitbull design makes upkeep simple: the blades detach, so pop them off and rinse them after each use rather than letting clippings build up, and let them dry. Because the blades are spring-loaded to retreat under pressure, pressing harder does not cut closer – it just slows the motor. Our notes on how to extend the life of a shaver head cover the routine, and if you want the technique itself, how to shave your head smoothly walks through the order of work.

Common questions

Do the models shave differently?

The mechanism is the same four-head rotary design across the range. What changes is the blade shipped in the box – Forte on the Platinum and Gold, Carver on the Silver and Palm – along with the accessories, warranty, run time and water rating. Treat the model choice as a decision about those, not about how the head cuts.

How long does the battery last?

Skull Shaver rates the Platinum PRO PX5 and Gold PRO GX5 at 90 minutes of cordless use, the Silver PRO SX5 at 70 minutes and the Palm MX5 at up to 60 minutes. All four also work in plug-and-shave mode if the battery is flat.

Can I use it in the shower?

All four are designed for wet or dry use. The Platinum and Gold carry an IPX7 rating and the Silver and Palm an IPX6 rating. Skull Shaver’s own guidance is to rinse under running water rather than submerge the shaver.

Do I have to replace the blades?

Eventually, yes. Rotary cutters and heads wear, and Skull Shaver sells replacement blades and heads for the line. Replace the head when the shave stops feeling close or starts to drag, rather than replacing the whole shaver.

Is the cheaper Palm just as good?

It uses the same rotary approach and a PRO four-head blade, and for a quick head shave it will do the job. The reason it costs less is that it runs for less time per charge, has a lower water rating, carries no numeric display and ships without a case.

Before you buy

Work out the order of work first: if the hair is long, a clipper handles that, and the head shaver handles the regular short-growth passes after it. Then choose your Pitbull by the extras rather than the shave – the Gold PRO for the balance most people want, the Platinum PRO for the stand and the longer warranty, the Silver PRO for the lowest full-size price, the Palm for the smallest and lightest. Check the current price and availability on the card for the model you want, and give the heads a rinse after each use so they keep cutting the way they did on the first day.