Here is the failed joint- obviously been outside for months after weldingIf you were welding 10mm plate to 20mm plate I'd think about arc welding, but you are welding bar.
I would have thought that, with the correct preparation, and concentrating on the 20 mm bar, you could weld that OK.
You said one weld failed. Can you post high resolution closeup pictures of the failure?
You only have a 10 mm long fillet - does your machine have something to help with cold starts
Bevel the 10 mm bar. You only need penetration into the joint, not into the 20 mm bar.
Jack