You really don't need to worry about gear until you hit the end game.
It's said you only need to respec every 10 to 12 levels, but I've just taken a toon from lvl 30 to 70 over the last few days and didn't respec once. The only time I died was when I drove off a cliff on Hoth!
Once you hit lvl 70 you'll start to get command crates and you can respec 228 or 230 gear from them. Play story mode FP and heroics unitl you get a few bits and the switch to Vet mode.
Play with rotation until you hit lvl 70 then read the end game guides for the best system, but by the you'll have a good idea what's working and what's not.
Most of all, have fun and don't over think it