Listen to Mike P.
Get yerself a levelwind first (maybe used?). One less thing to worry about while you're learning and also keeps you in the water longer so you can fish more.
When you get a feel for the convench reels, then you can evaluate your needs and upgrade later. Like many other tackle acquisitions, at some point, it's personal preference. But unless you experience it first, you won't know what's more important for you later.
To give you an indication of the personal preference thing, I use a newell 229 non-levelwind for chunking exclusively.
PS: Mike P - I could use your insights to a thread I started in CA's forum about needing some help - if you have the time.
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