Japanese chainsaw artist Hikaru Kodama has completed a full-size wooden tractor modeled after the classic John Deere 60 and delivered the finished piece to PFANNER Japan in Hokkaido.
Kodama said completing and delivering the tractor was the main purpose of his trip to Hokkaido. The finished John Deere 60 sculpture is now displayed at PFANNER Japan’s facility in Nanporo, where visitors can see the work in person. The artist also said test rides are available.
The project brings one of John Deere’s most recognizable vintage tractor designs into the world of chainsaw carving, reproducing the machine’s distinctive proportions and mechanical appearance in wood.
Wooden John Deere 60
Kodama specifically named the John Deere 60 as the model for the project. The completed sculpture recreates key visual features of the tractor, including its long hood, narrow front end, large rear wheels, operator’s position and exposed mechanical forms.
Rather than using the familiar John Deere green and yellow color scheme, the sculpture leaves the natural wood grain visible across the body, wheels and detailed components.
Kodama presented the project through Tree Spirits Art and identified PFANNER Japan as his sponsor. The tractor is displayed at the company’s Nanporo facility in Hokkaido.
Hikaru Kodama Chainsaw Art
Hikaru Kodama is an established Japanese professional chainsaw carver whose work has been documented by PFANNER Japan for years.
PFANNER Japan described Kodama as a professional chainsaw carver in company posts dating back to at least 2016. The company reported that he participated in international chainsaw carving competitions and recorded several notable results that year, including first place in Australia, second place in Oregon, second place at a competition in Toei, fourth place in Wisconsin and third place in the United Kingdom.
His portfolio extends well beyond agricultural machinery. PFANNER Japan has previously featured wooden sculptures created by Kodama including an American bison, figures, a detailed recreation of a PROTOS forestry helmet and other chainsaw-carved works.
The relationship between Kodama and PFANNER Japan has also continued over several years. In 2019, the company featured a chainsaw-carved bear he presented to the company, while later PFANNER Japan posts continued to introduce him as a professional chainsaw carver.
Tractor Design as Chainsaw Art
The John Deere 60 project stands out because of the complexity of its subject.
A tractor combines large geometric surfaces with wheels, steering components, mechanical details and numerous smaller elements. Recreating those features in wood requires the sculpture to remain recognizable not simply as a tractor, but specifically as the historic Deere model that inspired it.
The choice of the John Deere 60 is particularly effective from a visual standpoint. Tractors from John Deere’s classic two-cylinder period have a distinctive profile that remains immediately identifiable even when recreated outside their original steel construction and factory colors.
For agricultural machinery enthusiasts, the finished piece also offers an unusual example of how vintage tractor design can move beyond restoration and collecting into large-scale mechanical art.
About John Deere
John Deere’s history dates to 1837, when blacksmith John Deere developed the commercially successful self-scouring steel plow that became the foundation of the business later known as Deere & Company.
Today, Deere & Company is a global manufacturer serving agriculture, construction, forestry and related industries. Its operations combine equipment manufacturing with precision agriculture technologies, automation, digital tools and financial services.
Nearly two centuries after the company’s beginnings, historic Deere machines continue to have an influence well beyond active farm use. Hikaru Kodama’s wooden John Deere 60 is a particularly unusual example, turning the recognizable form of a vintage American tractor into a large-scale piece of Japanese chainsaw art.
Source: tree-spirits-art.com
