Chris,
I have seldom seen so much good and accurate advice as you have here.
What has not been said is that thing is a magnetic locked contactor. It is like a big relay with built in magnets to hold it open or closed. The switch just provides a pulse to make it do what you want. Those pulses are supposed to be short. The contactors seen to be very reliable.
If someone or something held switch for much time at all, the fuse opened. I have seen this happen more than once.
For the short term, a hard jumper will work. Just be sure to remember to disconnect it in storage.
Matt
