This lid is _very_ tight which is a feature as I use it for the corn syrup bucket in my kitchen and the risk of the lid breaking if dropped is a big concern for me. The lid doesn't attach without *a rubber mallet*, and most reviews complaining that it's too tight are probably using the wrong tool. Carpenter's hammers don't work because they hit too hard and their striking face is too small (essentially an impedance mismatch problem).