Can alter the height of the beater

Why would you raise the beater if you want it to reach the bottom of the bowl? You need to lower the beater. Turn the screw in until it just touches with empty bowl on high speed then turn it counter clockwise a 1/4 turn so it will just clear.

There is a screw at the bottom of the motor head (flat head) you usually can't see it because of the top rim of the mixing bowl. hard to see and hard to reach, it may also be hard to turn due to "gunk" from mixing stuff (egg butter flour sugar) turn the screw counter clockwise to lower the motor head clockwise to raise it, you may also have the wrong size beater, it is not an uncommon problem, if you are the original owner and you have the original beater it should fix your problem with the adjusting screw, however I am not clear as to your model a 5SSWH would actually be a K5SSWH, which stands for kitchenaid 5 quart solid state white mixer, if this is your model number and you have the correct beater size then the adjusting screw will work to lower the head down, adjust it down using the stir or slowest speed just untill you can hear the beater "Ding" against the bottom of the bowl, then back it off a quarter turn to adjust properly. Hope this helps, let us know

If the beaters are hitting the bottom of the bowl, try adjusting the upper-head stop-screw located near the top of the lower stand--it determines how far the head drops down and therefore, the height of the beaters above the bowl bottom. Hope this helps!

Hi ERIN. This should be pretty easy to do by yourself. The instructions for adjusting your beater to bowl clearance is in your Owners Manual. If you don’t have the original manual you can easily download a PDF version of your Owners Manual from the KA website: (http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home).
Click on Customer Care>Locate Manuals& Guides> and enter the 6 character model number, in your case K$45SSW and select the file listed for your model that appears under Owners Manuals (2): K45SSWH-0.pdf (2730.37 KB) and save that file to your PC. Turn to Page 13 and you will find the instructions for adjusting the mixer head height. I have extracted the instructions below:
Beater to Bowl Clearance
Your mixer is adjusted at the factory so that the flat beater just clears the bottom of the bowl. If for any reason, the flat beater hits the bottom of the bowl or is too far away from the bowl, clearance
Tilt-Head models
• Unplug mixer.
• Lift motor head.

• Turn screw (A) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater or clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
• Make adjustment with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you over adjust the screw, the bowl lock lever may not lock into place.
I hope this helps! – Howard, Burke, VA
If this solution has helped you, please rate it, thanks! - hslincoln

Hi ARADAM, you don’t provide the model number or say if you have a ‘tilt-head’ or a ‘bowl-lift' mixer, which would helpful, but you can easily download a PDF version of your Owners Manual from the KA website at: (http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home).
Click on Customer Care>Locate Manuals& Guides> and enter the 6 character model number and select a file listed under Owners Manuals and save that file to your PC. You’ll need to have Adobe Reader to be able to open it. Turn to Page 11 and you will find the instructions for adjusting the mixer head height. I have extracted the instructions below:
Beater to Bowl Clearance
Your mixer is adjusted at the factory so that the flat beater just clears the bottom of the bowl. If for any reason, the flat beater hits the bottom of the bowl or is too far away from the bowl, clearance.
Tilt-Head models
• Unplug mixer.
• Lift motor head.

• Turn screw (A) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater or clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
• Make adjustment with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you over adjust the screw, the bowl lock lever may not lock into place.

Bowl-Lift models
• Unplug mixer.
• Place bowl lift handle in down position.


• Turn screw (B) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater and clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
•Make adjustments with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you find the adjustment screw missing, you’ll need to replace it. But now you’ll need
I hope this helps! –Howard, Burke, VA
If this solution has helped you, please rate it, thanks! - hslincoln

Hi, JAKELEGJEETE, You don’t say if you have a ‘tilt-head’ or a ‘bowl-lift' mixer, but you can easily download a PDF version of your Owners Manual from the KA website at: (http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home).
Click on Customer Care>Locate Manuals& Guides> and enter the 6 character model number (in your case, use KSM5PS)and select the last file listed that appear under Owners Manuals: and save that file to your PC. You’ll need to have Adobe Reader to be able to open it. Turn to Page 11 and you will find the instructions for adjusting the Beater to Bowl Clearance. I have extracted the instructions below:
Beater to Bowl Clearance
Your mixer is adjusted at the factory so that the flat beater just clears the bottom of the bowl. If for any reason, the flat beater hits the bottom of the bowl or is too far away from the bowl, clearance.
Tilt-Head models
• Unplug mixer.
• Lift motor head.

• Turn screw (A) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater or clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
• Make adjustment with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you over adjust the screw, the bowl lock lever may not lock into place.

Bowl-Lift models
• Unplug mixer.
• Place bowl lift handle in down position.

• Turn screw (B) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater and clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
•Make adjustments with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you find the adjustment screw missing, you’ll need to replace it. But now you’ll need
I hope this helps! –Howard, Burke, VA
If this solution has helped you, please rate it, thanks! - hslincoln

Hi, KLOEHR, your beater will not lengthen by losing a screw. However, if you lost your Beater to Bowl Clearance adjustment screw, then it might appear that your beater had ‘grown’ because now the beater may be touching the bottom of your mixing bowl, where previously it had not. Simply said, the beater didn’t grow the mixer head drooped.
You don’t say if you have a ‘tilt-head’ or a ‘bowl-lift' mixer, but you can easily download a PDF version of your Owners Manual from the KA website at: (http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home).
Click on Customer Care>Locate Manuals& Guides> and enter the 6 character model number (in your case, use KSM5PS)and select the last file listed that appear under Owners Manuals: KSM5PSWW0.pdf (2930.74 KB) and save that file to your PC. You’ll need to have Adobe Reader to be able to open it. Turn to Page 11 and you will find the instructions for adjusting the mixer head height. I have extracted the instructions below:
Beater to Bowl Clearance
Your mixer is adjusted at the factory so that the flat beater just clears the bottom of the bowl. If for any reason, the flat beater hits the bottom of the bowl or is too far away from the bowl, clearance.
Tilt-Head models
• Unplug mixer.
• Lift motor head.

• Turn screw (A) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater or clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
• Make adjustment with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you over adjust the screw, the bowl lock lever may not lock into place.

Bowl-Lift models
• Unplug mixer.
• Place bowl lift handle in down position.

• Turn screw (B) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater and clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
•Make adjustments with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you find the adjustment screw missing, you’ll need to replace it. But now you’ll need
I hope this helps! –Howard, Burke, VA
If this solution has helped you, please rate it, thanks! - hslincoln

Hi KELLYSERMAN, this should be pretty easy to do by yourself the instructions for adjusting your beater to bowl clearance is in your Owners Manual. I you don’t have the original manual you can easily download a PDF version of your Owners Manual from the KA website: (http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home).
Click on Customer Care>Locate Manuals& Guides> and enter the 6 character model number, in your case KSM150 and select the file listed for your model that appears under Owners Manuals (66): KSM150PSER1 (732.33KB) and save that file to your PC. Turn to Page 14 and you will find the instructions for adjusting the mixer head height. I have extracted the instructions below:
Beater to Bowl Clearance
Your mixer is adjusted at the factory so that the flat beater just clears the bottom of the bowl. If for any reason, the flat beater hits the bottom of the bowl or is too far away from the bowl, clearance
Tilt-Head models
• Unplug mixer.
• Lift motor head.

• Turn screw (A) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater or clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
• Make adjustment with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you over adjust the screw, the bowl lock lever may not lock into place.
I hope this helps! – Howard, Burke, VA
If this solution has helped you, please rate it, thanks! - hslincoln

JOE:You don’t say if you have a ‘tilt-head’or a ‘bowl-lift' mixer, but you can easily download a PDF version of your Owners Manual from the KA website (http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home).Click on Customer Care>Locate Manuals& Guides> and enter the 6 character model number (in your case, use KSM90P)and select the last file listed that appear under Owners Manuals:KSM90PSWW0.pdf (2930.74 KB)and save that file to your PC.You’ll need to have Adobe Reader to be able to open it. Turn to Page 11 and you will find the instructions for adjusting the mixer head height.I have extracted the instructions below:
Beater to Bowl Clearance
Your mixer is adjusted at the factory so that the flat beaterjust clears the bottom of the bowl. If for any reason, the flat beater hits thebottom of the bowl or is too far away from the bowl, clearance

Tilt-Head models
• Unplug mixer.
• Lift motor head.

• Turn screw (A) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater or clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
• Make adjustment with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.
If you over adjust the screw, the bowl lock lever may not lock into place.


Bowl-Lift models
• Unplug mixer.
• Place bowl lift handle in down position.

• Turn screw (B) SLIGHTLY counter clockwise (left) to raise flat beater and clockwise (right) to lower flat beater.
•Make adjustments with flat beater, so it just clears surface of bowl.

I hope this helps! –Howard, Burke, VA
If this solution has helped you, please rate it, thanks!.hslincoln

There is an adjuster on the model I own - the KSM50... It is a tiny little silver screw at the base of the motor between the screws that mount the bowl mover to the stand. Screwing to the left makes the bowl lower and turning to the right makes the bowl higher. I just adjusted mine. Note - just a slight turn can make a difference, but my screw was SO TIGHT- I had to ask my husband to do it. Plus, it is located in a difficult area for some screwdrivers to fit into. He got mine to budge and now my clearance of beater to bowl ratio is perfect.

:) Hope it works for ya,