Circuit Breakers

Breakers are also not intended for multiple operations - like switching. Contactors are rated for multiple switching operations, but not breakers. (However, as long as you limit your switching to a few dozen in their lifetimes, breakers will do the trick.)

A couple of other things which could be added are that it is a natural reaction amongst the untrained to slap in a larger fuse when one blows - or one with a different characteristic. This does not happen with breakers. And generally, fuses are rated for short circuit operations - unless you get the right rating - and subjecting them to a sustained overload can lead to an interesting and frightening failure mode.

It is also a little bit too easy to stick a penny inside the screw-in type of fuses that used to be so common for residential applications.

HR.

So are fuses ;-)

Breakers are rated for one fault type trip and then need to be replaced. Read the fine print.