The thing works great! Incredibly complex tires became easy to assemble. It is like a gel, so when using it without water it is best to apply it with a rubber glove. Some of the negative reviews sound like they don't know what the lube is for and/or use it too much. Two or three shots around the ball are enough. Can also be used with an aqueous mix as others have mentioned. I've read posts and watched YouTube videos to learn just about every tire fitting "trick". Tried Windex, dish soap, large tire pliers, Baja No-Pinch tire tool, etc. It turned out that all I needed was this stuff and some regular tire pliers. Very glad I received this item.