Customer Reviews for Drive XLR8 Herbicide Crabgrass Killer

I learned the hard way, tried to spray this on crabgrass in a st. Augustine lawn and works like roundup, killed everything it touched. Please bring back asulox somebody...

  Expert response:
This product specifically says to not apply to St. Augustine grass, which is why it killed it.  St. Augustine cannot handle a product like Drive XLR8. 

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512 of 798 people found this review helpful

I have for years been wrestling with various different varieties of late summer crab grasses in the lawns that I manage, even after high quality pre-emergent and several OTC post-emergent herbicide treatments. This summer with everything looking truly horrid with nasty crab grasses growing everywhere, I used the Southern Ag surfactant along with Drive XLR8 to absolutely knock the crap out of my crab grass problems. I applied the Drive XLR8 and the surfactant combination to the lawns prior to any heat stressing/stunting and well between mowings as specified. My results were outstanding and visible with yellowing in 36-48 hours and then obviously terminal yellow-tan in 96 hours. The Drive XLR8 and surfactant combination is a bit pricey, but the coverage is excellent and the combination actually works as advertised.

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416 of 439 people found this review helpful

In the past I had a lawn control company and have more crabgrass now than ever it seems like. I could have called and they would send someone out to kill everything but I don't like that so I let the lawn service go. I put a premium fertilizer on my lawn a few weeks ago and my Bermuda greened up nice and is very full. I mixed up 1.5 oz of Driver DLR8 along with 0.5 oz of Southern AD Surfactant per gallon of water and used my pump sprayer to spray a fine mist early in the morning with a heavy dew on the grass. About 12 hours later (as is normal this year in the south) the heavens opened up flooding my lawn. I just knew it was not going to work. WRONG! The very next day it looked like the crabgrass was turning yellow, the second day I know it was. Within 4 days the crabgrass was dead. It has been 5 days now and I cut my grass again last night. I can see some yellowing of the Bermuda where I sprayed but I can live with that. Apparently I missed a few spots of grab grass walking around the yard with my sprayer so I will hit it again in a week or two. The same day I sprayed my lawn I sprayed my son's lawn but I did his on dry grass in the sun maybe 4 hours before the rain came. His did not work as good as mine but it did work. I am going to hit his again in the morning dew the next time. I would highly recommend Drive DLR8 w/a surfactant (Southern AG worked great for me.) I have used herbicides before but never with a surfactant. But then again nothing as ever worked this good before either.

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264 of 274 people found this review helpful

This crabgrass killer really works!! First I was skeptical, I had a serious crabgrass problem, with big mature crabgrass. I used scott's and Bayer's weed killer with crabgrass controll, they didn't work. I used this one in early september, all the crabgrass were dead in a few days, I just reseeded my lawn...

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228 of 243 people found this review helpful

Easy to remember, a neighbor told me about it. The mixing instructions were easy enough to follow and one has to know what application he is making. The sprayer I am using mixed it automatically once I knew the tbsps/gallon to set on it. The crab grass simply started to disappear after a few days.

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145 of 160 people found this review helpful

Over many years, my 1 acre of turf has been invaded by a number of weedy grasses. The most annoying and hard to control for me has always been crabgrass. I'm talking big areas of nothing but crab invading otherwise decent fescue. I'm always on time with the proper pre-emergent crabgrass fertilizer/herbicide from the big box retailers, but it never seems to do my lawn much good. This year, preparing to do some fall lawn renovations, I picked up this herbicide. I made the first application in late August when my crabgrass was absolutely thriving. I have a backspack sprayer, and a hose end sprayer. After carefully reading the directions, I measured up the correct dosage to treat 15,000 sq. feet and mixed it up with the recommended non-ionic surfactant. I used my hose end sprayer to evenly disperse the mixture over the proper number of square feet, and the results after a few days were remarkable, even without rain to help the product absorb into the plants and work more effectively. I would estimate that the first spraying killed or severly damaged 75% of the crabgrass that was alive and thriving in my yard. In addition, it also managed to kill a bunch of other weedy grasses and weeds. Two weeks later I applied a second applications and I am confident that my lawn will be 95% to 99% crabgrass and weed free. It's only been two days since then, so we'll see. The product was enough to easily cover my 1 acre when mixed with the recommended surfactant, at the recommended dosage, twice. I can't recommend enough and am looking forward to getting more for next year. Than you for the great product, and thank you to all the reviewers who influenced my decision.

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98 of 104 people found this review helpful

Following directions including surfactant dosage, I performed a test on a 10x100 ft strip of heavy crab grass and bermuda, some St Augstine. Within 3 days the leaves turned yellowish brown, and within 6 days, all crab grass was dead to the roots. There was no damage to bermuda and in areas where we have St Augustine, did not notice much damage, some leaves turned yellow but St Augustine is showing new growth. Will use on rest of yard this comning weekend. Note that we live in South Texas, it's mid-August, temps in upper 90's, not much rain this time of year.

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61 of 70 people found this review helpful

For the cost and effectiveness, I would not buy this product again. Using the recommended doage, the herbicide only stunted the growth of some weeds, and even killed some of the grass. Most of the weeds remained unchanged. I am going to try going beyond the dosage to see if this works, but as of right now, it is not worth the hefty price tag.

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54 of 83 people found this review helpful

I ordered this product to treat crabgrass that was taking over my yard which is half bermuda grass and half st augustine, I treated the bermuda and product worked as it said it would and killed all the crabgrass and had no affect on the bermuda. I am really happy with this product.

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44 of 47 people found this review helpful

Purchased drive xlr8 to use on house yard to kill crabgrass. Sprayed as per directions and within a week crabgrass is brown and dead. Worked perfect!

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43 of 45 people found this review helpful

I never thought that I would be able to control crabgrass, I was skeptical about XLR8 also. I had hired a person to spray my lawn but all he killed was clover, the crabgrass flourished. In three days after applying XLR8 the crabgrass was dead. Great product!!!!

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41 of 46 people found this review helpful

This is excellent product. I bought this with surfactant. my lawn is completly infested with Crab grass and dallisGrass. 80% crab grass and 10% dallis grass. After 24 hrs i saw light discoloration bu not much After 2 days, i see the crabgrass folding and more color change After 3 days the grass mostly died. It took may be 7 days to kill Dallis grass. excellent product must have

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39 of 42 people found this review helpful

The product is excellent. Did a great job killing crab grass. what was difficult was getting a "reasonable" explanation on what the mixture should be. At least a recommended mixture per gallon of mix.

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37 of 41 people found this review helpful

I used this in late August in the northeast Texas region to control crabgrass in a Bermuda lawn. Within 24 hours, 1/3 of the treated crabgrass was clearly dying. Since it says it can take a week to work, I'll wait the full week before spot treating the surviving crabgrass. My bermuda grass did not show any adverse reaction whatsover to the XLR8. Color me impressed.

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35 of 38 people found this review helpful

Have used Drive for several years. Works best on juvenile crabgrass plants. Mature crabgrass sometimes requires a second application. Superb product. The few negative reviews must have been posted by persons who applied the product incorrectly. Drive works every time and is the best post-emergent crabgrass herbicide for tall fescue lawns.

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35 of 36 people found this review helpful

I mixed per the instructions (1-1/2 oz per gallon for my use), sprayed an area, and one week later - amazing. MUCH better than anything you can buy "over the counter".

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33 of 34 people found this review helpful

We had a 3000sq ft yard overrun with stubborn and mature crabgrass. After one application of XLR8 the entire lot of them were wiped out and gray after about 4 days. Adjacent turf and other landscape was completely unaffected.

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32 of 34 people found this review helpful

Good product, did what it said it would do, killed the crab grass and not my Zoysia grass. Good customer service, fast derlivery.

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31 of 34 people found this review helpful

I won't even give this stuff one (1) star. Not even half a star. I take pride in my yard but battle crab grass and other weeds because my neighbors don't take care of their yards, let that stuff grow, and the seeds blow in and germinate. I've tried everything at the local level. Texas Crab Grass just laughs at it. So I read up and everyone said Drive was the deal. So I bought a bottle. Other than turning the blades a velvet red, the plants laughed it off and kept right on coming. We've had a horrible outbreak of clover this year. Drive helped it for about 50 days, then it was back en masse. Want to kill weeds? Don't Drive!

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28 of 55 people found this review helpful

I have used Drive Xlr8 for past 2 years on a yard that was 1/2 crabgrass, used pre-emergent - Dimension 2EW plus Xlr8 - first time around mid-march, then a second application in early June ( in southern Va), then seed tall fescue in fall. Has worked well, grass is now dominant. XLR8 kills the crabgrass roots - they turn black. combination seems to starve the crabgrass. Shipping was always fast. Product works when used as directed.

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26 of 26 people found this review helpful

I'll have to say that I was very skeptical about this product when I found it online. I bought it only beacuse nothing else worked. I have a mix of fescue and bluegrass in NJ. I applied it according to the directions at: 1.45 oz per 1000 sq ft. In 3 days all of the crabgrass was dead and the fescue/bluegrass was unharmed. I seeded the dead areas and all is good. Highly recommended.

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25 of 26 people found this review helpful

Works great on torpedo grass and crab grass on our empire zoysia.

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24 of 24 people found this review helpful

I got this quinclorac-based herbicide after spot testing a different quinclorac-based brand that didn't do much. I applied it to my whole lawn and it sure did knock out the crabgrass on my new Zoysia lawn. Two months now and it hasn't come back. Now to the application rate. Don't exceed the dosage! I put the recommended amount into my 5 gallon pump sprayer to broadcast my lawn entirely. I thought it wouldn't be all THAT bad and in the following 2 weeks the crabgrass died off as expected. All good, right? No way. There a large spots on my lawn where the Zoysia has been either completely killed or totally bleached and dry. I have these brown to gray spots on my Zoysia that don't appear immediately so it leaves you to the false assumption that over application won't harm a healthy lawn. It's really a delayed effect on your lawn if you over spray. I'm hoping that the spot will rebound where it has bleached and/or the Zoysia grow back in over the next year. Else I'll have to re-sod in places. Overall, product works great. Just don't over do it or you'll damage your lawn like it did.

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21 of 22 people found this review helpful

Just applied this to my 25000 Square Foot Lawn at 1.45 ounces per 1000 Square Feet. Used a 20 Gallon Pull Behing Sprayer on Fescue and Bluegrass Lawn. Excellent Results, all crabgrass was killed and lawn was unaffected. Noticed results in 3-4 days over entire lawn. I had 3 dry days after spraying as well. Thanks.

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20 of 21 people found this review helpful

Followed the instructions and all effected crabgrass has died and didn't adversely effect my lawn. Not Cheap but extremely effective in doing what it says it can do.

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20 of 23 people found this review helpful

WOrks very well, and reasonably quick. If label is followed (ie not applying to drought stressed lawns) and tank mixed with a 2,4 d product to help out if your chasing broadleaf weeds, its the best choice.

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19 of 19 people found this review helpful

I wanted to kill the new crabgrass that has emerged in Mid-summer, even with a properly timed pre emergent treatment of Surflan at 1 gallon an acre rate sprayed between April 2 -3. At the correct time for pre emergent application and rate, I still received crabgrass sprouting in late June. I purchase Drive XLR8 Herbicide Crabgrass, Dismiss, and Gordon's Trimec 992, plus, the recommended surface adhering adjuvant -mentholated seed oil. With 10 acres of grass, I have to find a cheaper way to create my own Gordon's Q4; it only costs a $100 an gallon/acre vs $123 gallon/acre Q4 premixed. It seems that when following all the spraying prerequisites; applying 2 days after mowing, watering before and a day after treatment, with temperatures in the low 80s, and mowing a week later. Yet, I only received 60 -70 % kill of crabgrass after 10 days. This Q4 cocktail did kill all the other broad leaf and nutsedge weeds, but truly $adden by results. I don't know if Drive only kills crabgrass at the very beginning of growth phase up to 4 tiller stage? Once the new crabgrass has been mowed, who really knows it's growth stage? However, I did notice that areas that where the lawn tractor tire pressed down the grass, there was almost +95 % kill rate in those strips. This suggests that dragging a chained plastic pipe behind the 14 ' boom sprayer may cause the same phenomenon I experienced. However, what a mess to tow and not get caught up on something when spraying 10 acres. Hypothesis, the mechanical stress damage to the plant's cuticle might allow a lethal dose of Drive's ingredient, Quinclorac, into the crabgrass. Note: this same tire track treatment did not hurt any cool weather or Kentucky Bluegrass at all; all the cultivated grass stayed very robust and green. Bottom Line: More work needs to be done by the manufacturer, BASF, to enhance their products success rate with Crabgrass et al.

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19 of 23 people found this review helpful

I have tried other products with limited success. Drive XLR8 does exactly what it says...it kills the crabgrass completely. I applied the product per the directions using a back pack tank sprayer. Great coverage and results. I'd recommend XLR8 to anyone with a post emergence crabgrass problem

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18 of 20 people found this review helpful

Definitely kills it...would buy again

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16 of 18 people found this review helpful

This product seems to be much better in killing Crab Grass than any other I have tried. This would not be my first choice on St Augustine. On Zoysia it's great. The Zoysia is very tolerant of the Drive herbicide, but St Augustine is sensitive. The Crab Grass showed damage after just a few days, and now 10 days later most Crab is brown, and the roots are obviously suffering as well. Most herbicides require several applications to actually kill Crab Grass, but I believe the impact iafter only 10 days is greater than the full impact by the others herbicides I tried. The vigor of Crab Grass makes it a hard weed to control, but Drive is giving a total kill. I happen to have St Augustine invading my Zoyzia from a neighbors property. The Drive is helping on that front as well. Where I sprayed it, the St Augustine is turning red and losing vigor. The over-growing St Augustine is not a big concern to me, but having an easy was to keep it away from my Zoyzia makes it an easy fix for me which I intend to implement.

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15 of 18 people found this review helpful