Balancing is really only a concern if you push the batteries close to their limits. Balancing is suppose to make sure that each cell in the pack is nearly equal in voltage to the others. This way, they will all charge to the smae voltage, but more importantly, it will make sure that any one cell won't be overcharged because it had more voltage to begin with. However, if your cells never get out of balance, then balancing is not really necessary. They get out of balance if you push them. For example, if your motor draws 10 amps and you have a 1500mah(1.5A) lipo with a 10C discharge (minimum nowadays), then the battery is capable of handling 15 amps (10x1.5A) continous draw, which means the motor will not get close to taxing the packs' capability. If you have a closer gap in those numbers , then your cells could get out of balance, and of course, a balancer would be a good inverstment. You really have to know what your motor is drawing from the pack you are using. Also, the more cells you have in a pack, the more i would tend to go with a balancer. Bottom line is, if you spend more than $50 on one lipo pack, go ahead and get the balancer. If you use 2 cell lipos with small 370 or 400 motors that draw <10 amps, i don't think balancers are essential. Keep in mind that the propeller you use will also affect amps drawn, not drastically, but enough to make a difference.