Stellarator/torsatron configurations with a wide range of parameters have been evaluated and compared in terms of their vacuum field topology, magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability, and guiding center orbit confinement. The torsatron configurations are found to be the most suitable choice for a near-term physics experiment. The best of these configurations has an equilibrium beta limit of approx. = 5% for a plasma aspect ratio of 7. The equilibrium limit can be increased to approx. = 8% by doubling the aspect ratio. Modullarization of the torsatron coils can be achieved in a practical way that retains all the physics properties of the configuration. The modularization introduces additional flexibility, which allows the realization of a larger variety of vacuum flux surface topologies. The feasibility of modularizing the coils and the reasonable physics parameters found for a configuration with moderate aspect ratio make torsatron configurations very attractive, both for physics experiments and for future fusion reactors.