Catfishslayer, good information. Remedy and eraser both can be bought without having to have an applicators lic. Remedy was originally designed for use on hay fields to control all types of broadleaf weeds as well as woody stemmed plants such as sweetgum, oak, briars of different types etc.
It will also control bahia (pronounced ba-hay-uh) grass whick is extremely hard to get rid of. Fortunatly Indiana doesn't have it yet the last I heard.
2-4d is a hormone base herbicide and requires an aplicators lic. to buy it in quantities larger than a quart. It is also prone to higher possibility of run-off than remedy because it is not absorbed as fast as others. Also 2-4d when used around aquatics such as ponds and lakes you must take into account the degree of slope in the lay of the land. For aquatics it is reccommended to use 2-4d Aquatic so fish and aquatic animal kill off is less likely. 2-4d is herbicide that you better know how to use or you can really screw up.
The last time I used 2-4d it was 15 dollars a quart which does put it in the cheaper catagory but it is getting harder to find as there are better and safer products to use.
Another product that is cheap and controls broadleaf well is called Clean Pasture. It is generic Ally that was introduced in the southern US for the control of bahia grass. 35 dollars buys enough to mix 125 gallons and depending on the rate of application can treat 3 to 5 acres.
I do agree with most of your reccommendation on other times except broadleaf control is done in early spring around most of the farms here. Here in Texas, most of our weeds are already 2 foot tall as I type this. I also run and own a lawn service now for about 18 years. Iwas also in the landscaping business in St. Louis, Mo. When I moved back here and started up I found I had a slight learning curve to adjust to due to different climate and demands.