re: Gearheads, recommend me an automotive torque wrench

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Are those dead on balls accurate?

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None are. They are, like all measuring devices, accurate only to a standard measurement. A torque wrench has to be initially calibrated and re-calibrated periodically to be accurate to whatever standard it is calibrated to. If it used or not makes no difference. if it stored improperly or receives a shock of some sort it must be recalibrated. This is true of any measuring device if accuracy is important.

If all you need is for one to use rebuilding a truck and the occasional auto repair a Harbor Freight torque wrench or any other than a flea market one will be sufficient. I work in the nuclear industry and snap ons and Matcos are common but they are tested and inspected monthly and calibrated quarterly and they always need some tinkering to calibrate.