I am not a welder by trade either, took some classes, got certified and build vehicles on the side for a hobby (getting into tractor modification now).
No argument here, but <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=337480"/> looks really hot (almost a little too hot), you can see penetration on both sides of the weld and the root material. It's not going anywhere.
Not sure what the welder manufacturer has to do with anything... I've used them all. 160 amps is 160 amps within a small % tolerance. Duty cycle varies as does the servo speed for the wire feed but amperage = heat.
His welds should not "etch" the root, if that's what you mean by wet on the edges? Looks like he has a little too much wire speed, since his welds are fattish, but nothing I would redo. I like a nice flat weld.