Technical register for agricultural, construction and commercial machinery · sourced data
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Wesseler WL 340 E

Built: from 1960 · Series: WL

More machines from model year 1960

The photo shows the WL 26 E from the same series. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wesseler_WL_24.jpg

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The WL series from Wesseler includes the WL 340 E. Production: 1960–1964/66?. The engine delivers 38 hp (27.8 kW), has 3 cylinders, with a displacement of 3,120 cm³. Rated speed is 2,000 rpm. The machine is 3,070 mm long, 1,600 mm wide and 1,770 mm high. The unladen weight is 1,800 kg. The wheelbase measures 2,080 mm. Top speed is 20 km/h. The engine is air-cooled. Tyres: front 6.00-16, rear 11-32. The fuel is diesel. Construction: frameless unit construction. The gearbox offers 8 forward gears. There are also 4 reverse gears. The WL series covers 8 models. Rated output within it ranges from 12 to 38 hp; the WL 340 E sits at the top of that range with 38 hp. Its immediate neighbours are the WL 230 E below it with 30 hp. Unladen weight within it ranges from 790 to 1,800 kg; here the WL 340 E sits at the top of that range with 1,800 kg. 18 Wesseler models across 3 series are on record.

Wesseler WL – the second tractor range of the farm-machinery dealer from Rheine: WL 12 to WL 340 E, the number as hp class, E as upgrade, MWM diesels with one to three cylinders and 0.9 to 3.1 litres, 9 to 28 kW

The WL range is the second tractor family of Wesseler of Rheine in Westphalia, the farm-machinery dealer that in the 1950s, like many small post-war firms, built tractors from bought-in components – engines from MWM of Mannheim, gearboxes and axles from suppliers – before the big makers pushed the small series out in the 1960s. The type logic: W marks the brand, L the range, the number the hp class – WL 12 about 12 hp, WL 18 18 hp, WL 28 28 hp – the three-digit types WL 230 E and WL 340 E the later models with power step and appended generation digit, E an upgrade. The engines are MWM diesels with one cylinder in the smallest, two in the medium and three in the large types, 0.9 to 3.1 litres at about 2,000 rpm – slow-running engines regarded as frugal and long-lived.

Read on 3 more paragraphs

The register lists 8 versions with 8.8 to 27.8 kW from one- to three-cylinders of 905 to 3,120 cm³, unladen weights from 790 to 1,800 kg, lengths from 2,450 to 3,070 mm, widths from 1,430 to 1,600 mm and heights from 1,450 to 1,770 mm.

Wesseler tractors are rare collectors' pieces of Westphalian tractor history today; the WL range differs from the W range in its later build period and upgrades, technically the base stays the same.

On used tractors, originality, the condition of the MWM engine (parts through MWM vintage specialists), clutch, gearbox, hydraulics and sheet metal count; supplier components are often identical to those of other small brands of the time.

Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: Wesseler WL, Wesseler (Wikipedia)

Technical data

Engine

Fueldieselcorrect
Power38 hp (27.8 kW)correct
Rated speed2,000 rpmcorrect
Cylinders3correct
Displacement3,120 cm³correct
Coolingair-cooledcorrect

Dimensions and weights

Length3,070 mmcorrect
Width1,600 mmcorrect
Height1,770 mmcorrect
Wheelbase2,080 mmcorrect
Unladen weight1,800 kgcorrect

Drivetrain and chassis

Driverear-wheel drivecorrect
Gearbox8/4-Getriebecorrect
Forward gears8correct
Reverse gears4correct
Front tyres6.00-16correct
Rear tyres11-32correct
Top speed20 km/hcorrect

Origin and approval

Constructionframeless unit constructioncorrect

Where this model stands

Power-to-weight ratio: 15.4 kW/t (28 kW / 1.8 t)

Power class: Compact (< 40 hp)

Stronger than 23% of the tractors in the register — out of 15,663 models with a stated power figure.

Calculated from the documented figures above — not a rating.

Frequently asked questions

How much power does the Wesseler WL 340 E have?

The Wesseler WL 340 E delivers 38 hp.

How much does the Wesseler WL 340 E weigh?

The unladen weight is 1,800 kg.

What engine does the Wesseler WL 340 E have?

3 cylinders, 3,120 cm³ displacement, Diesel.

How fast does the Wesseler WL 340 E go?

Top speed is 20 km/h.

What are the dimensions of the Wesseler WL 340 E?

3,070 mm × 1,600 mm × 1,770 mm.

When was the Wesseler WL 340 E built?

Production years: 1960–1964/66?.

What to check before buying

  • Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
  • Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
  • Check the weights in the papers against the figures here — attachments change them.
  • Check front and rear tyre sizes: mismatched pairs strain the drivetrain.
  • Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
  • Load the hydraulics and watch for sag.
  • Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.

A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.

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This page carries 20 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.

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Other models in this series

Sources: Wikibooks Traktorenlexikon (CC BY-SA 4.0) (retrieved August 2026) · How we check the data

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