First of all argon is expensive and wasteful for ordinary steel dip transfer welding. CO2 is much cheaper but the best option is argoshield if you can find it - a mixture of CO2 and either 5% or 10% argon with a couple of added oxygen molecules.
25 to 30 cfm seems quite high and wasteful. This depends on how well ventilated the weld area is and if there are any draughts. Most welders who have to buy their own materials and consumables try to economise on gas, using just a little more than actually needed. This is a low volume in confined shaded places and more in less shaded places. If there is even a small draught it can need a lot and flux cored wire is better.
The suggested basic settings for welding are only suggestions that do not take into account all the variables involved. Broadly the wire speed needs to match the selected power level and the best guide to this is the noise welding makes - ideally that of vigorously frying bacon.
Your description suggests the noise your welding generates is less frying and more buzz or hiss indicating you are in the realms of spray transfer with a machine not built for that type of welding.
All welding machines have small differences and even skilled and experienced welding folk need to practice with a new machine before proceeding with the real thing. I suggest you practice, practice, practice until you develop a technique that produces results and don't worry too much about the theory - as you gain experience you will be able to do things with your welder that aren't in the instruction book.
You will find the wire speed control needs a light touch and the numbers on the dial usually mean little...
Good luck!
Reset you wire feed speed and the voltage for the thickness of metal being welded
it indicates that the voltage is far too high -probably to compensate for the high wire feed speed
gas is wasted at that flow rate
set up welding screens around the job to stop breezes interfering with the gas at the tip
the gas at the tip should be flowing only strong enough to maintain a gas bubble around the arc
That is the purpose of the gas is only to displace oxygen and so give a good weld
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