I started my concertina playing with a Hohner 20 large white button CG Anglo, purchased for £10 at Bell Accordions.I required it for playing Morris Dancing Music and stuck with it for a number of years.The main reason for this was a question of economics,with a young family I could not afford anything better.There is a hell of a lot of music that can be played on a twenty button concertina.It did have accordion style reeds that was perfectly adequate for my playing at that time and many at an advanced stage of Anglo playing know that across the rows and not playing the bellows forcefully, there are some very nice chords to be found.
Eventually the reeds started to disintegrate and a new concertina was necessary.My advice would be to spend as much money as you can afford.It is also worth considering the different systems available,particularly if you are going down the singing and playing route.I certainly admire what Brian can do as far as accompaniment and singing using the Anglo, a very difficult instrument to achieve this aim. Alternatively the English and Duet concertinas seem to be easier for singing accompaniment cutting out the push pull difficulties that you have with an Anglo.Many a player, when learning, breaths with the direction of the bellows and a long pull, or push sequence ,leaves the singer gasping for air.How do I know that? Because I have done it.
I have played many Anglo concertinas and there are good and bad in the lot.Some Lachenal's are dreadful on the other hand some are superb,the same goes for most makes.My advice would be to play a few and see what you enjoy playing and the sound it creates,it maybe that the more soft sounding accordion reeded concertinas suites your rather soft singing voice.
Al