Active ingredient
2,4-D
Phenoxy (synthetic auxin)
The oldest selective broadleaf herbicide still in wide use, and the backbone active of nearly every three-way lawn product.
What it does
Kills broadleaf weeds while grasses tolerate it โ dandelion, plantain, clover and most of the common lawn set. It is cheap, effective and available in salt and ester forms.
What it does not do
It does nothing to grassy weeds. Crabgrass is a grass and nutsedge is a sedge, so a three-way sprayed at either is the single most common 'my weed killer is defective' story in lawn care.
The label constraint people miss
Heat is the constraint. 2,4-D turf labels commonly carry a high-temperature limit around 85โ90ยฐF, and above it the weed stops taking the herbicide up while the turf stops tolerating it. Ester formulations also volatilise, which is a drift risk to whatever is downwind.
Products we review that contain it
Every product below is here because we opened its label โ on EPA's own database or the registrant's โ and read 2,4-D in the ingredient statement. Registration numbers are on each product's page. 1 further product in our catalogue appears to contain it but we could not resolve the label, so it is not listed here โ an unread label is not evidence of what is inside the bottle.

Selective Broadleaf Herbicide (hose-end)
Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer Ready-to-Spray
โ โ โ โ โ (4.4/5)
Classic 3-way broadleaf formula. Rainproof in one hour, visible wilting within days, safe on established turf at labeled rates.
Best for: Whole-lawn broadleaf weed cleanups
$20โ$26
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Post-Emergent Herbicide (Crabgrass + Broadleaf)
Ortho Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control
โ โ โ โ โ (4.5/5)
The one homeowner bottle that kills crabgrass already up AND common broadleaf weeds โ quinclorac is what standard three-way mixes are missing.
Best for: Crabgrass that has already emerged, alongside broadleaf weeds
$34โ$42
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Professional Post-Emergent Herbicide
Prime Source Celsius WG Easy Mix Packet
โ โ โ โ โ (4.7/5)
The same Celsius WG chemistry in a single-dose packet โ heat-safe on warm-season turf, with no bulk purchase and no scale required.
Best for: Stubborn weeds and hot-weather applications on warm-season turf
$15โ$20
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Selective Broadleaf Herbicide (amine concentrate)
Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D Weed Killer, 32 oz
โ โ โ โ โ (4.4/5)
Straight 2,4-D amine at concentrate prices โ the base broadleaf active behind most three-way lawn products, without the other two.
Best for: Broadleaf weeds across lawn, pasture and acreage where you want the active on its own rather than inside a branded blend
$18โ$24
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Selective Broadleaf Herbicide (amine concentrate, acreage volume)
Hi-Yield 2,4-D Selective Weed Killer, 1 Gallon
โ โ โ โ โ (4.3/5)
The same 2,4-D amine in a gallon rather than a quart, which is the size that makes sense once you are spraying a paddock rather than a lawn.
Best for: Pasture, paddock and acreage broadleaf control, where a quart bottle runs out mid-job
$34โ$42
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Selective Broadleaf Herbicide (low-volatile ester, agricultural label)
Alligare 2,4-D LV6 Selective Weed Killer, 2.5 Gallons
โ โ โ โ โ (4.1/5)
Ester 2,4-D at 88.4% active, for corn and soybean pre-plant and rights-of-way โ a commercial concentration that needs handling to match.
Best for: Genuine acreage where cost per acre decides, and the operator has the equipment and PPE for an 88% concentrate
$110โ$130
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Selective Broadleaf Herbicide (three-way with MCPA)
Liquid Harvest Lawn Weed Killer Three-Way Concentrate, 32 oz
โ โ โ โ โ (4/5)
A three-way built on MCPA rather than MCPP, which is the substitution most consumer bottles do not make.
Best for: Broadleaf weeds across a whole lawn, where a concentrate's cost per area matters
$34โ$42
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Guides that use 2,4-D
- Best Pasture Weed Killer: The Weed Picks the Product
- Dollarweed: The Weed That Tells You About Your Water
- Best Weed Killer for Centipede: The Sensitive One
- Best Weed Killer for St. Augustine: The Cultivar Decides
- Best Weed Killer for Zoysia: Tolerance Is Not the Problem
- How to Kill Broadleaf Plantain: Read It First
Buy for the active, then read the label anyway. Two products with the same active are not interchangeable โ concentration, labelled sites and species tolerances all vary, and a three-part registration number means a narrowed label. How to read one in two minutes. Where our page and your container disagree, the container is the legal authority.