Black and Decker Mouse Sander Review & Specifications

Black and Decker is an American company known for producing power tools aimed at the casual as well as the professional consumer. They manufacture and market a host of products across categories that are available at price points ranging from low to high. With this Detail Mouse Sander, Black and Decker have released an efficient and reasonably priced tool in a popular category.

Mouse sanders are small hand-held sanders with a triangular head where sandpaper is attached. As opposed to orbital sanders or belt sanders, mouse sanders are used for fine detail work such as sanding corners and tight spaces, which is why they are also known as corner sanders or detail sanders. More often than not, you will need to use orbital sanders or any large sander for large scale sanding tasks.

Bonus Read: If you are looking to buy a belt sander, check out this review of the Makita 9920 Belt Sander.

In this review guide, we feature an in-depth analysis of the Black and Decker Sander, with specific attention to its design, practicality, and ease of use. This will help you get an informed perspective and come to a conclusion about its worth to you as a buyer.

First, let us take a quick look at the specifications of the mouse sander.

Black and Decker Sander: Specifications

Let us now move on to an elaborate analysis of this power tool.

Black and Decker Sander: Detailed Review

Key Features

• Powerful 1.2 Amp motor
• 14000 orbits per minute speed of vibration
• Triangular sanding head for intricate and precise sanding
• Velcro sanding base for easy on/easy off sandpaper use
• Tip interchangeable with a sleek finger attachment meant to smoothen tight edges
• Long electric cord for adequate reachability
• A 2-year warranty for added peace of mind
• Lightweight and compact design
• Three-position grip for greater control and maneuverability
• Easy and efficient dust collection with a micro-filtration mechanism
• Detachable dust canister for easy disposal of waste
• Durable plastic material used in the build

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Design

The Black and Decker sander is ergonomically designed, with a focus on superior functionality. Its small size and its teardrop-shaped head make it perfect for sanding edges and allow it to fit into tight corners with ease. Also, the flat base allows it to be flush with any surface it is placed on. And it does all this while being super comfortable to hold at the same time.

For hard-to-reach surfaces, there is a finger-shaped attachment that is included in the box. This is a nifty design feature and it can be attached and removed in a jiffy. All you need to do is use a screwdriver to remove the tip of the sanding head. To this, you can then attach the finger attachment and screw it in place.

Additionally, the compactness of the frame enables you to get closer to the work surface with ease. It has three separate rubberized grip areas, one on the handle and two on the head, to allow you to hold the tool based on your sanding needs. Not only does this enhance its operability, but it also makes it easier for you to apply pressure to the parts of the work surface you intend to sand.

The electric cord at the end of the handle is long, so you don’t have to carry an extension along. As for the power switch, it is located on the top of the handle and can be reached with ease. Flipping it on and off goes smoothly and allows for an unhindered usage experience.

The base of the sanding head is not bulky and adds to the overall maneuverability of the device. Not to mention, it helps you to apply controlled pressure over target areas with more precision. At the bottom, it has a velcro adhesive that makes attaching sandpaper easy and quick besides keeping it securely fixed throughout the duration of use.

Coming to the dust collection system, it has two essential components, an organization of collection holes at the base of the device and a dust canister fixed at the tail end. 

The canister is detachable for easy emptying and can collect a good amount of dust that comes out while sanding. To let you be able to check when it is full, the canister is made of see-through plastic. And if you are wondering whether it stays attached securely to the tool, you needn’t worry. Even with rough usage, we found that it didn’t get loose or wobbly.

Lastly, the frame is made of durable plastic. It is resistant to getting damaged and scratched easily. Despite the thin design of the base plate, it is quite sturdy and the velcro lasts through many sandpaper attachment/detachment cycles. It is for these reasons that most users report being able to keep the Black and Decker Sander as-good-as-new for a long time.

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Performance

With a 1.2 Amp power output, this device is built to perform well for light to medium sanding. Its head vibrates at an impressive speed of 14000 orbits per minute, which is fast enough to smoothen a rough patch quickly and with minimal effort. The power supply of the sander comes from an electric cord which is more efficient than batteries.

You should be mindful of the fact that the sanding head of this device does not rotate as it does in the case of an orbital sander or a belt sander (which has a rotating sanding belt). But that is not a design flaw. While a rotating movement is useful for general and large-scale sanding, sanding corners requires precision, which is where a vibrating head comes in handy.

As such, the device performs exceptionally well when it comes to smoothing corners and tight edges. This enables it to provide the necessary finish and detail to any sanding task. What’s more, the vibrations of the head do not compromise the stability, efficiency, and accuracy of the tool. Besides detail sanding, it can also be used for many other purposes such as metal polishing, paint or varnish removal, rust removal, and even glass cleaning.

Further, to take its corner sanding abilities up a notch, there is a finger attachment that you can fix at the pointed tip of the sanding plate. Once fixed, stick on the piece of sandpaper shipped with the package to the underside of this finger. The velcro adhesive on this part as well makes attaching sandpaper a breeze. It can now be used to access the tightest of spaces.

A useful tip while using the finger sander is to apply the lightest of pressure only on the end of the device where it is attached. This is made easier by holding the device by the handle instead of the sides or the top. Such use will make your detail sanding more efficient while also reducing the chances of the finger end getting bent or damaged with more-than-required pressure.

Moving on, the dust collection on this power tool works very efficiently. For this, it has a micro filter that enhances its performance. The holes at the base of the sander are wide enough to not get clogged while working. Also, the suction is powerful and collects most of the micro dust particles flying off from the surface. Granted, it may not catch every last speck, but it does reduce the amount of mess on and around the sanding surface for a cleaner work station.

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In-the-box Accessories

The Black and Decker sander package ships with the following contents:

• Mouse detail sander
• Sanding pad
• Finger attachment
• 2 sandpapers for the main sanding base
• 1 sandpaper for the finger attachment
• Product manual and warranty document

The two sandpapers for the main sanding base have large grit sizes and are coarse. You might need to additionally buy finer grit-size sandpaper for getting an ultra-smooth finish. Nonetheless, for almost all sanding purposes, the in-the-box sandpapers are more than sufficient.

Drawbacks

As with any other product, there are certain drawbacks of this sander as well. The first point is related to the availability of the accessories. When you buy a detail sander that has a characteristic design, such as this one, it is of the utmost importance to find out whether the accessories and replaceable parts are readily available or not.

In the case of the Black and Decker sander, we found that the specifically designed sanding papers with holes cut out to align with the holes on the base plate of this device are somewhat hard to procure. However, that is not to say that they are completely unavailable. When you do locate a seller, make sure to buy enough of the sandpapers based on your requirements, so that you don’t have to fret when the ones you have start to lose their grit.

Another downside of this product is the need to screw and unscrew the finger attachment. This makes the entire process of interchanging tips slightly cumbersome and slow. All said, it is fair to say that this is a necessary evil as, without a screw, the relatively flimsy tip or finger attachment might come off easily while sanding.

Lastly, some users have put up complaints about the small size of the dust canister. While it could certainly have been bigger, we feel that this was designed to be consistent with the compactness and lightweight form of the power tool.

Bonus read: For reviews on the 10 best random orbital sanders in 2023, read this guide.

Verdict: Should You Buy the Black and Decker Sander?

There are a few basic requirements that a functional detail sander needs to fulfill to be considered as an ideal buy. These are low weight, compact design, the applicability of adjustable pressure for a smooth sanding experience, and the ability to get in the tightest of spaces. All of these criteria are met capably by the Black and Decker sander.

In addition to this, the long electric cord, the affordable price tag, the 2-year-long warranty, and the trustworthiness of the brand make it a viable option. The sander delivers ample power to help you provide the finishing touches to most sanding assignments. If you are a casual DIYer or a beginner in the woodworking area, you should not hesitate to purchase this mid-range sander by Black and Decker.

That said, even professional sanders will benefit from having this handy little device in their power tool kitty. All in all, it is a value-for-money product and you will not regret buying it, especially if you are looking for a sander to finish light to medium sanding tasks.

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Conclusion

A mouse sander or detail sander is a nifty power tool designed specifically for sanding otherwise tough-to-reach surfaces and edges. It does what other sanders cannot do and therefore is an essential device to own for woodworkers.

There are many good detail sanders in the market and one among those is the Black and Decker sander. This review guide analyses the various features, specifications, highlights of the design, and overall functioning of the device, in addition to listing some drawbacks as well.

We hope that this information helps you to weigh the pros and cons of the Black and Decker sander and decide whether or not you should buy this tool.

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