Lawn & garden
Vitax SBK Brushwood Killer dupe
Why pay around £13.99 for Vitax? The bulk active is Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate — 40% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Vitax SBK Brushwood Killer
1 litre · £13.99 typical snapshot
Aromatic solvent and emulsifiers
2 · Active
Triclopyr (as acid equivalent)
4.8% on the label
55335-06-3C7H4Cl3O3
Bulk Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate
3 · Mix
100 ml SBK-equivalent in 5 L water (≈0.96 g/L triclopyr)
£0.84 per working litre · 40% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Triclopyr (as acid equivalent)
- CAS
- 55335-06-3
- Dupe
- Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate
- Saving
- 40% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Controls brambles, nettles, dock and woody weeds”
The chemical reality
SBK is triclopyr at 48 g/L in a solvent base — the classic woody-weed killer. The same working band (about 0.96 g/L after dilution) comes from professional triclopyr concentrate without the garden-centre markup.
Active vs filler
4.8% Triclopyr (as acid equivalent) · 95% carrier / filler — Aromatic solvent and emulsifiers
- Typical retail
- £13.99
- 1 litre
- Estimated active cost
- £4.20
- Scaled from bulk £42.00 / 1 litre
- Indicative markup
- 3.3×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 1 litre pack of Vitax SBK Brushwood Killer typically retails around £13.99 in lawn & garden. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Controls brambles, nettles, dock and woody weeds; Selective on some grass species when used as directed; and Concentrate — dilute before spraying.
The catch: SBK is triclopyr at 48 g/L in a solvent base — the classic woody-weed killer. The same working band (about 0.96 g/L after dilution) comes from professional triclopyr concentrate without the garden-centre markup.
- “Controls brambles, nettles, dock and woody weeds”
- “Selective on some grass species when used as directed”
- “Concentrate — dilute before spraying”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Triclopyr (as acid equivalent) at 4.8%. Everything else in the pack is aromatic solvent and emulsifiers.
At 4.8% active, most of what you pay for is carrier and packaging. The brand is selling convenience, fragrance and a label — not a uniquely potent molecule.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 48% Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate, mixed to 100 ml SBK-equivalent in 5 L water (≈0.96 g/L triclopyr).
- Labelled active
- Triclopyr (as acid equivalent)
- 4.8%
- Carrier
- Aromatic solvent and emulsifiers
- Retail pack
- 1 litre · £13.99
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate at 48% bulk. Indexed as CAS 55335-06-3, formula C7H4Cl3O3. Buy it as 1 litre for around £42.00 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 100 ml SBK-equivalent in 5 L water (≈0.96 g/L triclopyr). Indicative cost £0.84 per diluted litre — 40% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Pesticide: read the HSE label on the drum you buy. Gloves, goggles, no spray drift onto watercourses.
- For SBK-equivalent strength: 10 ml of 480 g/L triclopyr in 5 L of water (≈0.96 g/L — the same order as 100 ml SBK in 5 L).
- Spray actively growing leaves until run-off. Woody weeds need full leaf cover; repeat per label if regrowth appears.
- 1 litre of 480 g/L concentrate at 10 ml per 5 L batch makes about 500 L of working spray.
- Triple-rinse sprayers; do not reuse for edible crops unless the label allows.
Dilution recipe
5 L sprayer
Working strength 100 ml SBK-equivalent in 5 L water (≈0.96 g/L triclopyr). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
10 millilitres
Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate
Water
4.99 litres
Carrier / diluent
0% concentrate · 100% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedVitax | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | SBK Brushwood KillerAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Triclopyr 480 g/L concentrate |
| Pack / unit | 1 litre · £13.99 | 1 litre · £42.00 |
| Active | Triclopyr (as acid equivalent) at 4.8%Carrier: Aromatic solvent and emulsifiers | 48% bulkC7H4Cl3O3 |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 55335-06-3 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 100 ml SBK-equivalent in 5 L water (≈0.96 g/L triclopyr) |
| Cost per litre | £13.99 / L typical pack | £0.84 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 40% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectaclesVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is SBK the same as Weedol glyphosate?
No. Weedol Pathclear is glyphosate — a broad-spectrum systemic. SBK is triclopyr (CAS 55335-06-3), often used on brambles and woody weeds where label allows. Different molecule, different approvals.
Will SBK kill my lawn?
Triclopyr can damage many turf grasses at woody-weed dilutions. Treat only where the label allows and keep drift off lawns you want to keep. For path weeds use the glyphosate teardown instead.
How do you mix the SBK Brushwood Killer dupe stack?
Pesticide: read the HSE label on the drum you buy. Gloves, goggles, no spray drift onto watercourses. For SBK-equivalent strength: 10 ml of 480 g/L triclopyr in 5 L of water (≈0.96 g/L — the same order as 100 ml SBK in 5 L). Spray actively growing leaves until run-off. Woody weeds need full leaf cover; repeat per label if regrowth appears. 1 litre of 480 g/L concentrate at 10 ml per 5 L batch makes about 500 L of working spray. Triple-rinse sprayers; do not reuse for edible crops unless the label allows.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
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£52.00Save 40% / L
Indicative DIY stack