[MinnesotaDave]

Ok, I started experimenting with aluminum SMAW again. Still do not like it - but it works.
1" x 1/8" square tubing and 1/8" diamond plate using an 1/8" electrode between 105 and 125 amps depending on base metal temp.
Drag angle was between 90 and 80 degrees - 90 degrees was nice since I could weld either direction.
Used miller maxstar 150s.

Mild Pre-heat made the stick process more consistent, otherwise a cold start was common. The pre-heat meant I could use a little lower amps and run longer before it got too hot making me stop to drop amps again.

Using it for buildup work (padding beads) was pretty simple. Lap joints were harder than fillet welds.

Biggest complaint, it does not lay down much material compared to what I can put down with my tig.

At 230 amps I can feed in an entire 36" tig rod of aluminum with no fussing around with slag on 1/4" material.
The SMAW process does not appear that it would keep up.

[Preacherman]

I did some aluminum repair on a 2005 BMW with dc+ a few weeks back. Cut off two bent frame rails and welded two straight ones back on. Was it as pretty as tig...no...but then I wasn't trying to paint finger nails either..lol! Will it hold...sure, no worries...alloy for alloy (filler material) it's just as strong. Point is...I don't weld much aluminum so I can see buying a high priced tig to use twice a year. Just my opinion.

[Adam's Got Skills]

I tried this crap shoot of stick welding aluminum about a year ago...an I've gotten better at it but Im no expert at it. I've found that it's very tough finding the right travel speed. Cuz it's way fast! What helped me was making short welds and letting thebase metal completely cool at least til it's cool enough to touch. If u don't wait then turn down the amps almost 15 amps otherwise the puddle will run all over on u! I do a very slight push as well. I did see chucke2009s video...an if i remember he kept going hotter an i think he just started hot an kept getting hotter. Im NO Expert at this but 7 out of 10 welds look good. which is i think better then most. Let me tell ya tho the company i worked for probably should have just bought us a dynasty instead of spending the same amount in aluminum rods!!! Cuz it's like 30 bucks a lb. An personally now that I have a mig that's strictly set up for aluminum I definitely recommend that. Lincoln has a cheaper 160/180 that u can get a 70$ kit to do aluminthat's what i did. ...so it'd be a lil over700....but i got a little stash Im tryin to get a dynasty with