Complaint Review: Darmani Grain Storage - Fiske Saskatchewan

As a customer service rep for Darmani Grain Storage, this article recently came to my attention.  It is unfortunate that one can write whatever they want on the web.  First of all, It is true that Darmani does sale grain bins and related grain storage products throughout not only western Canada but also the U.S. 

It is also true that DArmani re-sold these bins but didn't manufacture them.  As stated in the article, Sukup Manufacturing manufactured the bin including the roof and its components.  

All grain bins are made very similar and carry simliar stregnths with limitations followed as a guide upon manufacturers.  What the contractor failed to mention that the fault was investigated by Darmani and Sukup Manufacturing and corresponded to the contractor. 

Sukup engineering team responded with a number of scenarios which may have occured but Sukup wouldn't cover any warranty due to improper lifting and handling.        

The contrator in this case, tried moving the bins with the crane to a different area while suspended in the air.  The 3008 model of grain bin is heavy and all the bins are manufactured the same way using precise roll forming equipment.  The bins, peak ring are manufactured from the same style and gauge of material. 

The contractor tried to move the bins and although the claim was that everything was done the same way, all it takes is oen of the following to create this problem. 

1. Lifting device not evenly centered.  If the lifting device isn't properly attached to the peak ring or not evenly centered, then an uneven amount of weight transfer will be applied and therefore putting extreme pressures on one side of the peak ring to binsheet connection and not any on the other.   

2. Moving the bin around the yard.  The contractor was moving the bins around the yard. UPon doing so, the leverage of the crane and the movement caused when going through a uneven spot can cause uneven pressures or lifting device to move and therfore the peak to sheet connection tearing. 

3. Big gusts of Wind.  If a big gust of wind comes up and forcibly blows the bin around with rapid movements, then again uneven pressures occur which can result in damage.    

4. LIfting bin already attached to the steel floor or hopper cone.  Some contractors think that because they can lift a grain bin from the roof, they think that they can simply do this and move an entire bin attached to a steel floor or hopper cone.  What they Fail to realize is massive extra weigth added with the hopper or steel floor which will be too heavy for teh roof to handle. 

Even though Sukup Manufacturing didn't cover any warranty, As stated by contractor , Darmani did send the necesary parts to the contractor. 

As Darmani tries to help all contractors out,  At the time, this contractor didn't have a bincrane (lifting device) so Darmani agreed to let contactor use a 8000 lbs WEsteel bin crane  wiht jib attachment which to this date, which to this date ----Even at the request of DArmani, the crane was never returned.     

Sukup , however, wouldn't offer the contractor any downtime,travel etc. as it was found that this wasn't covered under warranty. 

During the years which Darmani did sale Sukup manufactured grain bins, 1000's were build across the prairies without any roof building damage unless the following occured.

1. Lifting the bin from the roof/peak ring with the bin attached to eitiher a hopper or steel floor.   No larger diameter grain bin is built to withstand teh pressures of the weight of the grain bin and the hopper or steel floor.

2. Improper lifting /moving techinques or lifting devices as described earlier.   It is crucial to even lift off the peak ring without sudden jerks, lifting devide shifting, big wind gusts or moving on uneven ground.   

Darmani tries its best to service the customer and has crews which work full time installing grian bins.  Sukup has a strong roof design and now that Darmani manufacturers there own line of grain bins, they hava a industry standard roof stregnth of #5000 lbs which is one of the strongest you can buy amongst farm bins. 

But Just like any peice of equipment, installation is crucial especially when you are dealing with a structural design. 

For more information on proper techniques on how to build a Sukup grain bin, visit sukup website.

Customer Relations

Darmani Grain Storage