[@Silver Fox] Yeah, FF9 was super dependent of the gear.
Disc one is only 6 hours long, and there are not too many battles. But when you start disc two. (Which was Twice as long if I recall?) 
You could learn before Treno if you buy the right gear. Even if you didn't learn- you're stacked with PD's. 
Really that is all the machine does is a Phoenix down. It isn't like "I have half heath."