170 hrs TT does not seem very much. At the same time a lot from where I'm at the moment actually. I'm learning to fly and have 17:30 TT at te moment. 12 of those hours are on the Diamond Katana. The rest on Aeronca Champ and Piper Super Cub.
I feel more at home in a taildragger already
I too like to fly by 'feel'. Also I've had a go in an S-2B a couple of times without landing it of course. My instructor says it will take a couple of years to get ready for the S-1T I'm looking at... So maybe not as many hours as I thought.