[MetalMan]

The reason why you're hearing different responses as to how often you should balance your pack is because there is no 100% correct answer. Balancing is only needed when the cells go out of balance. The question is - How do you know when the cells are out of balance? The answer - By hooking up a balancer and seeing if it does anything...

In other words, it is best to use a balancer all the time, as otherwise it is difficult to tell when your battery needs balancing.