Is it safe to dl torrents?

Sure it's safe if you're OK with stealing which is what most torrents are for.

Adding to Roger's comment: some of the stuff you download is not safe; some torrent sites are known to have software available which includes malware or other nasties. If I remember correctly, earlier this year there was a "free" version of iWork which included some nasty stuff.

And, as he said, downloading software that is free there, but you'd have to pay for it elsewhere, is stealing.