Yea, I think you got a bit lost.
Articles are the essence of SEO, without articles, it is technically impossible to rank for a keyword (haters, bear in mind I said technically). Usually, the higher quality the articles are, the more people will stop and read them and at the same time, the algorithm will detect its quality; so you get benefits from both.
When using "content generators" what you are doing is basically scrapping pieces and bits from all over the net and then reconstructing it into a shitty article. This is usually not a great idea as the content could devaluate your rankings instead of helping them.
About "spinners". Spinners are simple programs that restructure already writen articles. The better ones will make them look pretty much unique and they will still be readable. This is an okay technique and it is what 99% of "SEOers" use on their daily basis. Why? Because having a team of native writers creating content for your link building is VERY costly.
In regards of your T1 question. You want to use as much quality as possible as this will be directly linked to your site. So if you use spun content chances are that you will not get as good and fast rankings as if you used completely unique and nice looking ones.
HOWEVER
SEO is full of tricks and hidden paths, so TESTING is the only actual way to get to know if something really works or not. Don't be afraid, and start testing.
Best of luck