Safer with mechanical flaps? Pah, who needs flaps anyway!?
I'd take a 20 year old 172 over a PA28-161 of the same vintage anyday, but an Arrow is a nice aircraft
As for conversion, you'll find the numbers are all pretty much the same, but the low-wing operates slightly differently near the ground so I'd recommend an hour or two in total, to include stalls and circuits.
But 2 hours is never going to bring intimate familiarity with an aircraft's handling. 20 hours better. 200 hours much better. 2000 hours and you're obsessed and need counselling...