If the beater is a "Flex Edge" beater, it is supposed to scrape the bowl.

Otherwise you can adjust the height adjustment screw on the vertical column that supports the motor. the screw is about 2/3 above the base facing the bowl.

dcarch

• Figure B shows the part numbers.
• Many available.

(Just FYI)

I just bought a replacement beater for mine on Amazon, since my coating was peeling. I believe the beater one with the scrapers is not designed for the model we have.

This inspired me to look around. I learned that the SS stands for Solid State motor, which KA started using at the end of the Hobart years. It may have come with white paddle and dough hook. I've seen pictures that did. The older models, like my mother's tilt head, came with uncoated metal. I couldn't find much more about it, but it's supposed to be otherwise like the model K5-A and I did find a repair manual for both that and the tilt head version.

The bowl to beater height can be fixed, but it's not easy like the dime test and screw that the newer models have. It might be worth taking it to a proper, experienced repairman if you're not used to working on machinery.

https://www.scribd.com/document/176382158/Kitchen-Aid-K45-Service-Manual-For-Hobart-Made-Vintage-Mixers

Here is the relevant info from that, about the lift bowl model. Previous pages are about replacing the bowl holder, etc.

I am very puzzled by the information and the link you posted, including the repair methods..

I don't know what is a solid state (SS) motor never heard of a SS motor. Mixers mostly use what's know as universal motor, which can be powered by AC or DC. (Yes, believe it or not, not too long ago, there were areas in many cities still had DC power only, including NYC).

I don't think it is practical to use resistors to vary mixer motor speed. The resistors required would be very big, and generate too much heat to slow down a mixer motor.

Instead, two common ways to vary an universal motor without resistors: a.) taped coils in the motor field coils to vary the magnetic field. b.) Use variable PWM (Pulsed Width Modulated) electronics. This is the most common way to vary a portable appliance speed. Motor speed torque remains high even at slow speed, otherwise motor can stall and get burned out.

I can be wrong. I seem to think that for both models, adjustments can be made by turning a screw. No filing required.

dcarch

We have that same model mixer. Can't help you with the adjustment of the height of the beater but I'm thinking the previous owner either bought the incorrect beater for that model or the beater is the flex edge beater which scrapes the bowl. Have you thought about buying a new beater made for that model to see if that is the problem?

I found where the screw is to adjust. When you lift the bowl support up where it hits underneath you will see a small screw. You would have to loosen it to make it stick out further so the bowl support can't come up as high. Hope that helps.

That might not be the same mixer that the OP has. Mine is from the 80's and there are actually two screws that have to be adjusted. I have the K5A which I believe is the same as the K5SS, with SS standing for stainless steel (?) KA has a great customer service web site (I talked to the rep by IM) so I would suggest trying that.

jerseegirl I have model K5SS the same one the OP has. I looked at my own and that is where the screw is.

https://producthelp.kitchenaid.com/Countertop_Appliances/Stand_Mixers/Product_Info/Stand_Mixer_Assembly_and_Operation/Assemble_and_Adjust_a_Bowl_Lift_Mixer

Vinmarks: Does yours say Solid State on the Hobart band? Just curious. I wonder why the OP's mixer doesn't have the adjustment screw that yours has.

Yes. Mine says Solid State. The OP my not have been looking for the screw in the right spot??

Or maybe the screw fell out somehow? Or is pushed too far in?

Phew!! I found so many references to it not having the screw. If it does have it, or the hole for it (you can get replacements), it's soooo much easier.

Dcarch, that's the manual for the model with the older motor, without the updated adjustment screw (I found collectors who also thought the SS didn't have it, so either they don't know or that was added midway through). It's a scan in image format. It wasn't made up as a prank. You'll see in messages above this, that the words "solid state" appear on the unit. I'm not sure why you're objecting to basic facts.

No. Didn't imply that is a prank. Just didn't understand the technical terminology why they would say solid state motor. Now looking at your picture it becomes clear. It is a solid state controlled motor. Which is exactly What I talked about. It is just a regular universal motor that is controlled by a separate PWM solid state speed controller.

There is a type of motor which may become common for small appliances, which is called brush-less motor. A brush-less motor has solid state (Hall effect sensor) device inside the motor instead of carbon brushes. Even that they don't call that a solid state motor.

dcarch

The one in the manual was the previous regular motor. Not the solid state motor/controller. Maybe that's where the disconnect is? The housing is supposed to be the same, at least for earlier runs.

There will soon be a revolution in motorized home appliances.

The use of rare earth magnets and brush-less motors with high energy rechargeable batteries will give significant flexibility in design.

How about super capacitors? They can be fully recharged in one second!!!

dcarch

I have the K5SS. The beater height can not be adjusted at home. Trust me, I looked into it. Mine, bought new, actually never pushed a dime around the bottom of the bowl. Now I use a scraping beater blade. Since it isn't made for this model, it makes a lot of noise while it scrapes. Since the beater blade is flexible, you don't have to worry about the scraping unless it's really extreme. You may also be able to find the blade that's meant for it.

The beater height can't be adjusted but the bowl lift can. That little screw underneath can be adjusted to come out further thus not allowing the bowl lift to come up as far and the bowl won't come up as far therefore the beaters won't scrape the bottom of the bowl. Now I haven't actually tried it on mine because my beaters are not scraping the bowl. But the instructions on the kitchenaid website state this is what to use to adjust.

There is no little screw under the bowl lifter on my K5SS.

Maybe you have an older model and they don't have it? My K5SS has it. And it's not under the bowl lifter it's on the main unit I guess the part you would call the neck. It's under the thicker part of the neck. I have to assume the older K5SS units are missing the screw. OP's must be like yours.

@vinmarks: You might note the part number of the screw to which you are referring on the parts diagram.

Here's a video showing where the screw is and how to adjust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocnETNExLc0

And where is the OP?

Guess the OP left the building.

I have a K5SS with that tiny screw (screw B) which got lost. I have been searching for somewhere that lists the part number of that screw or sells it. I can not find any. Does anyone know the part number and/or a place that sells it?

I buy my parts for that mixer at www.easyapplianceparts.com. I have compared several websites for replacement parts and they have the best prices. Good customer service too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUo_ZU5xh3o

This video will show you how to adjust the speed of the older mixers. It requires you to adjust two screws under the back dome cover. You time the revolutions. It's really not that difficult.

I have an older KA lift model also from the 80's. THERE IS NO SCREW to adjust. For OP: The only thing I’m able to do so the beater catches all the ingredients in the bowl is to is push and hold the bowl up a fraction of an inch higher while it is running. Totally tedious.

mine too, I have been trying to find out how to adjust the bowl height because the beaters are too far away.

@Verna Kechriotis. You can find the info by searching the “net, but if it's old enough, you probably have to open it up and adjust directly. Unless you're an experienced mechanic, you'd be best off hiring a technician familiar with the process.

If it's new enough to have the adjustment screw, it's easy. Look for a video on YouTube with “dime test” and your type of mixer, and follow the directions.

I have a KA model K5-A life bowl purchased about 1978. Runs fine except that a beater rubs bottom of bowl and peels the white coating off. Bought new beater thinking that was problem. Manual says "adjustment seldom required but when necessary should be done by an authorized KA servicing outlet". These people do not exist anymore where I live in B.C. Any suggestions.

You should look for a manual on how to adjust the bowl placement. It's trickier on the tilt-heat models, which is what I got rid of my tilt-head mixer and bought one with a bowl that rises and lowers with a lever. However, even this needed adjustment. Some of the newer manuals might be helpful, if not exact.

I never had a problem with the beater hitting the bowl - my beaters never got that close and always had an unacceptable (to me) gap. This isn't an issue when I use the dough hook, however, and I seem to use that more than anything else. I would like to use the other beaters, but they don't work all that well for me, especially the wire whisk, which never gets close enough to the bottom of the bowl, and so I end up using a portable hand mixer instead.

Does this address your problem?

Thanks, Lars, appreciate your time to reply. It is a lift bowl mixer not a tilt-head. I have the manual that came with the machine, but it says to take that KA mixer K5-A to a servicing outlet if it needs adjustment. I did do the dime test and the dime really jumps around. The new beater is flaking quite badly and a lot of the aluminium is exposed. It is very tight when I lift the bowl. I'm thinking that it is not healthy to use until problem is fixed if it can be. I did read something about 2 years ago (might be still out there somewhere) but person said to turn this heavy mixer on its side and look up the access hole. You will see a 7/16in nut on a screw. I didn't have a proper long head socket and extension. Person said to raise bowl (I want to lower it) turn nut a 1/4 turn to Right. This nut is off the center of the hole when looking up the hole and hard to access with a straight socket. I will try and borrow a long head socket 7/16in from someone and try again. We are metric in Canada. Machine was purchased in Oregon.

You might try 11 mm as it is nearly 7/16. 12 mm might work if the nut is for adjustment and not locked-down or rusted.

All of the nearby authorized repair places for Kitchenaid mixers seemed to be out of business. My 25 year old mixer needed work. Kitchenaid does its own repairs at their headquarters in Michigan. For a very nominal price, they sent me a box to ship it and a prepaid UPS sticker. They charged a $25USD diagnostic fee and sent me an email to tell me what the problem was, and how much it would cost to fix it. The $25 was applied to that charge. Then, they shipped it back to me without any extra charge. My "baby" is like new, and I think the whole thing cost about $80, shipping and all. A bargain! Those old mixers are treasures and deserve to be kept.

Thanks to everyone who commented on solutions for the 45 year old K5-A Kitchenaide mixer. Much appreciated. I've been thinking about problem. The wire whip and dough hook work fine with no abrasion to them. I can slide paper under each of them when in the bowl. Maybe there's a beater out there that is a little shorter in length before I go meddling with the internals of the machine. I think that inside nut maybe froze on anyway. Thanks again.

Is it possible that you have the wrong paddle for your mixer? Perhaps order a new one based on the full model number, which is generally found on the bottom of the stand.

I have one of the older Hobart models with the correct enamel coated blades. It is put away on a shelf in another room (a flight down). It is the older Hobart (pre-whirlpool) model that cranks up and down to raise and lower the bowl. If the OP is still interested, I can measure the beaters. It sounds as though someone set it up w the wrong beater set. There may be used beaters on CL or other venues.

Thank you, petalique, for your comments. Mine is an old Hobart lift bowl model too. There are a lot of beaters on sale for model K5-A on the internet. Some have measurements which are the same as mine (I would think???). Unfortunately, I threw out the beater that came with the model (it was scraping on the side of the bowl). I measured at the time and the beaters seemed the same. These beaters cost a few bucks, coming from China, so I don't want to keep ordering a beater to find one that is a mm or two shorter. Too much hassle to return them if they don't work. I have all the attachments for this model. But thanks for your time in responding.

Oh, hi. I am just reading this. Want me to go downstairs and take measurements?

I have a tilt back type of KA that I tend to use more. I first bought the ”monster” Hobart with the crank to raise up. Heavy. I got it online CL local for maybe $60 because I thought I needed a large, heavy duty one bor making bread or pizza dough. I didn’t. I rarely use it.

I make slo rise artisan piza dough with a stretch, fold, autolyze technique that doesn’t require me getting my hands or counters involved. (Now I just need Lars’ Ooni oven, haha.)

If you get fed up with your hobart mixefr, I think you can sell it. Someone may want another motor, machine Hobart beast. I have a friend who has rebuilt his a couple of times.

I don’t think mine has a way to adjust the height. I will try to get the specs from mine. Maybe my very mechanically inclined friend has your and my type and knows or can fifure out how to jury rig adjust the height. I am a ”pragmatic Yankee” so rely on that sort of i ingenuity.

If you give me (PM is okay, just let me know) your Craigslist area, I can try to hunt up a used mixer for you.

This is an old posting but some are more recent so I will add to this. I just restored an old K5A and had no idea how the thing works before I started, so I analyzed everything. The bowl adjustment is an issue I have seen all over the internet and have not found a solution. After opening it, I think I see how this can be done. K5As and maybe early K5SS do not have an adjustment screw. Inside the pole (part beween foot and mixer) there is the mechanism to lift the arm. I found a diagram and marked it. The bowl arm is attached to a bracket and that is attached to the metal rod. underneath the bracket is a nut (#8). This nut looks like it can be moved up and down with a socket wrench (long one cause you need to reach in deep from the bottom). I have not tried it myself (yet) but I had taken this thing apart to every tiny screw and I don't see any other part that can do this.

UPDATE: After finding a picture of the actual part, I have to admit I was wrong. The thing can not be moved up. There is a stop on top of it. Maybe down a little if the spring is shortened. I have attached the found picture.