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I am assuming you want something 1/2" drive, for general use. The most useful range is 20-150 ft.-lbs. You also have to consider what type you want. There are several. The oldest is the twist beam. These are the ones with the scale and pointer rod. They are cheap, and not likely to give problems or go out of adjustment (unless grossly abused) but reading the scale accurately can sometimes be a problem. Next come the micrometer or "click" type. These work by rotating the hand grip to set the torque you want and then turning the fastener until you feel the wrench give way with a click. Convenient and easy to use, they are also more likely to become inaccurate, either from abuse, or from being stored for a long period of time with the spring tensioned. If you decide on this type, ALWAYS release tension on the spring (set the torque figure to "0") when you are done using the tool. A modern variant of this one is the electronic torque wrench, which has an LCD readout, and beeps when you reach the torque setting. I don't particularly like this kind---it seems to me to be the most fragile, and if used infrequently, the battery is likely to be dead when you go to use it. They are also expensive---the Craftsman electronic costs as much as a Snap-on micrometer type (both around $250) The final type is the kind with a dial. These have a round gauge face with a pointer, halfway along the body of the tool. Accurate and expensive, but with some of the same difficulty of reading as the cheap twist beam type.
As for what brand to get, you seem to have a fairly good idea of how the different ones rank. Snap-on is at the top, with Mac and Matco right behind. Craftsman is variable, their better ones not too far off from the top three, but also some not so good ones available. Other U.S. brands, such as S-K are comparable to Craftsman. I would avoid cheap Chinese imports like those from Harbor Freight or discount parts stores. I have doubts about their accuracy.
Bottom line---Craftsman is probably the way to go for you. If money is tight, the twist beam will serve just fine for occasional use. If you can afford it, and want something nicer, there are a couple of choices in the micrometer type. Buying new is probably a good idea here, as it is impossible to tell what a tool has been subjected to in the past. This doesn't matter much with regular wrenches, which are just pieces of metal, or even ratchets which can be tried out and seen to work properly (or not) A torque wrench is a precision instrument, and as such should only be used for tightening fasteners to a specific setting, NOT as a general purpose ratchet or breaker bar, which I have seen a number of people who called themselves mechanics do "Oh, it won't hurt it....." Yes, it will!!!!!! You don't want to buy a used one and find out it reads 20% low when you start breaking off head bolts. In theory, they can be tested and calibrated, but I don't know where one would go to have that done.
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