Lincoln Foundation's "Welding Procedure Handbook" has 5/32nd (4mm)
7018 at 150A for T-fillet|vertical-up|Code-quality|fair-weldability.Taught v-up T-fillet at college with around 85A and smaller rods (6013's), that's some go-for-it condition! Which you find is for-real when you try it in the workshop.
You will be going at something like 2.3mm (3/32nd") per second running a 6mm (1/4") fillet. Which works.
What do you find for more rough-and-ready site welds where there's gaps, etc, from more wavy freehand oxy-propane cutting / fabrication? "Bridge gaps and increase fillet size to compensate".
I've found you can stay on 150A if you switch the run to "buttering" the thicker / bigger steel as soon as the gap gets too big to be spanned by that run. Find - want more fill - do more fast stringer runs "buttering" and closing up the remaining gap. Until you can do a fast stringer which spans the remaining gap if any.
That gives you 150A productivity, you are always keeping a short arc, are not weaving and breaking the "rules" and keeping the shield on the pool, etc, etc.
[Given some weaves to bridge big gaps can be more like "whipping", which is outside the recommendations for E7018 rods???]In the PB (PC when "buttering") [2F and 2G (?)] and PF (3F), when welding beams to columns, often for temporary-works.
Yes you zoom along with a lot of runs, but it seems refreshingly productive, is easy work and gives a neat weld visibly of neat stringer-beads.
How does this sound? Am I somewhere good with my conditions and approach? Experienced / informed comment welcomed.
Best wishes, Rich Smith