RE: Propellers always needed to be balanced?
Any prop that goes into my prop box gets balanced. It only takes a couple of minutes so if it only helps an engine a little bit why not. On my smaller engines I use APC props, I have only found one size that is balanced right out of the mold, can never remember what size it is but as soon as it's on the balancer I know it. Some of them are really off! Fire up your plane with an out of balance prop then try one that has been balanced and see the difference in the vibration going into the air frame.