The WL Series covers the excavators that vegetation, council, farm and civil contractors already own in the largest numbers: three models spanning roughly 240 to 1,270 kg, carriers from 2.5 to 21 tonnes and trunk capacities from about 50 to 450 mm. Trevi Benne publishes those figures at family level only, so the per-model data sheet must be requested for the exact unit being quoted.
Where the WL Series sits in the range
The WL replaced the compact and mid-size end of the older six-model range on the WT Series legacy page. Above it sits the heavy WR family, from the WR10 on 12 to 16 tonne carriers to the WR20 on 23 to 30 tonne machines. The families overlap between about 11 and 21 tonnes, and there the choice is about purpose rather than fit: the WL is lighter, quicker in small material and offers the upper accumulator, while the WR brings the twin-blade Hardox system for repeated large stems. If your dominant stem is under 250 mm, the WL is usually the better answer even where a WR would bolt on. The tree shear buying guide sets out the range-level logic.
What the published figures mean on site
Read the WL figures as three brackets rather than three data points. The 240 kg end is a head for 2.5 to 5 tonne excavators in 50 to 100 mm class stems, which is arborist, council and property maintenance work; the 1,270 kg end is a mid-size industrial head for carriers approaching 21 tonnes with a published capacity around 450 mm. The 50 to 450 mm span is a maximum-capacity range, not a production range, and in Australian hardwood a head rated near 450 mm will spend most of its life well below that figure (see maximum diameter versus production diameter). Rotation, accumulator and oscillation are all optional, so two heads of the same model can differ materially in weight and price. Get the ordered configuration weight in writing and attach the data sheet to the purchase order.
Carrier matching
The 2.5 to 21 tonne band says which models are worth discussing, not whether a given excavator can hold a severed tree at the reach the operator actually works at. Useful capacity is what remains of the lift chart after head, rotator, bracket and hitch are subtracted, at the working radius, over the side, on the slope the site presents. As an illustration only, a 13 tonne excavator rated at 2,400 kg over the side at six metres, carrying an assumed 900 kg head with rotation plus a 150 kg bracket and hitch, has 1,350 kg left for the tree, and a green 300 mm hardwood stem of 15 metres can weigh more than that. On that machine the lift chart sets the practical cutting diameter before the blade does. Work it through with the lift chart and attachment mass guide, then confirm flow, pressure, the rotation circuit, accumulator control and any case drain using the hydraulic matching guide. A head that closes slowly wrecks small-stem economics.
Typical work and production considerations
The WL earns its keep on stem count, not stem size. Roadside regrowth, shelterbelt and orchard removal, woody weed programs, light thinning and biomass harvesting typically present three-quarters of stems below 200 mm, and there the slew-and-return leg is often longer than the cut. That is why the upper accumulator is the most commercially significant option on the family: retaining several stems before placing the bundle removes most of those return legs.
- Cut
- Retain
- Cut
- Retain
- Cut
- Place bundle
The oscillation and slewing options address a different loss. On a batter or between rows the head is rarely presented square to the stem, and the 90° plus 90° oscillation system or the 2 x 50° twin slewing cylinders let it follow the stem instead of repositioning the machine, which matters on road corridor and council and urban work and beside fences in farm and shelterbelt clearing. Dense eucalypt regrowth cuts more slowly and loads blades harder than European brochure material, so ask for a demonstration in representative stems before rates go into a tender.
Limitations and when to step up or down a size
Step up to the WR family when large single stems are the normal job, or when a 20 tonne plus carrier would be under-used by a WL head. Step down within the family when access, transport and carrier stability are the binding constraints, as in most urban work. Do not step up because one stem in a hundred exceeds the WL capacity; send those to a chainsaw crew or a grapple saw.
Options and configuration to settle at quotation
Settle the exact model, rotation type, accumulator, oscillation or slewing configuration, bracket and hitch, hose and coupler package, the total configured weight, and whether installation and commissioning on your carrier are included.
Wear parts and support
Blades, pivot pins, bushes, cylinder seals and rotator seals are the consumables. Ask for the sharpening specification, blade price, pin and bush kit price and Australian stock location; the wear parts guide has the full list. Machinery Specialist is the Australian distributor and first call for serial-specific parts.
Confirm before ordering
- The exact WL model quoted and its current factory data sheet, since the website publishes only the family span
- Configured weight including rotation, accumulator, oscillation system, bracket and hitch
- Lift-chart check at your real working radius with that weight and a representative hardwood stem
- Recommended flow and pressure, rotation and accumulator circuit requirements and any case drain
- Whether the upper accumulator suits your dominant stem size and downstream chipper or stockpile process
- Oscillation (90° plus 90°) or twin slewing cylinders (2 x 50°) versus a fixed head for your terrain
- Blade material, sharpening specification, replacement price and Australian lead time
- A demonstration in representative Australian regrowth before rates go into a tender
Frequently asked questions
Why does this page not list three separate models with figures?
Trevi Benne publishes the WL family as three models with a combined span of 240 to 1,270 kg, 2.5 to 21 tonnes and 50 to 450 mm. The per-model sheet is issued with the quotation and is the document to specify against.
Is the accumulator worth ordering?
In regrowth, thinning, shelterbelt and biomass work where most stems are small, usually yes, because it removes placement cycles. In large single-stem work it adds mass and cost for little return.
What is the difference between the oscillation system and the twin slewing cylinders?
Both let the head tilt relative to the stick so the blade meets the stem square without repositioning the carrier. The 90° plus 90° system offers the larger movement; the 2 x 50° twin-cylinder arrangement is the more compact option.
Can the largest WL do the same job as a WR10 on a 15 tonne excavator?
They overlap in carrier class but not in purpose. The WL is lighter and quicker in small material with an accumulator; the WR10 has the twin-blade Hardox system for repeated larger stems.
Does the WL leave a stump?
Yes. A tree shear cuts the standing stem and leaves the stump for a separate stump grinder or root cutter operation.
Other tree shears to compare
Trevi Benne WR10 tree shear
The entry point to the heavy WR family. Indicatively matched to 12 to 16 tonne excavators with a nominal 400 mm cutting class, twin-blade architecture and hydraulic rotation options.
Trevi Benne WR15 tree shear
The mid-range WR shear for the 17 to 22 tonne excavator class that most civil and clearing contractors already run, with a nominal 500 mm cutting class.
Trevi Benne WR20 tree shear
The largest of the WR family, indicatively matched to 23 to 30 tonne excavators with a nominal 550 mm cutting class for industrial clearing and large-stem work.
Get a recommendation, not just a price
Send us your excavator model, hydraulic figures, tree species and typical diameters. We will come back with a carrier-matched configuration and a written specification you can compare against any other quote.