Black & Decker 220G Mega MOUSE Sandpaper, 5-Pack

Why these 220-grit Mouse sheets earn a spot in my sanding kit

I keep a stack of 220-grit sheets close at hand because so many small finishing tasks depend on them: denibbing between coats, scuffing a slick surface before repainting, and tidying up machine marks before a final finish. The 220G Mega Mouse sheets fit neatly into that role. They’re made for Black & Decker’s Mega MOUSE–style detail sanders and include a replaceable tip, which is where most of the wear happens on these triangular pads.

Over a few weeks, I ran these sheets through typical workshop chores: easing maple shelves before clear coat, scuff-sanding latex-painted trim for a repaint, cleaning up waterborne polyurethane runs, and reaching into corner profiles on a cabinet door. I’ll cut straight to the useful bits—how they finish, how long they last, and whether the little design touches actually help.

Finish quality and scratch pattern

For 220 grit, the scratch pattern is consistent and predictable. On bare hardwoods like maple and oak, I got a uniform satin that took finish well without telegraphing swirls. With light pressure, the sheets knock down raised grain in a couple of passes and avoid the “polished” look that can cause adhesion problems for topcoats. On pine and other softwoods, they’re forgiving—enough bite to level fuzz after a sealer coat, not so aggressive that you blow through edges instantly.

On previously painted trim, the sheets excel at scuff-sanding. I like to vacuum the surface first, then make a couple of passes with the sander at low speed. The 220-grit scratch gives fresh paint something to grab without gouging the existing surface. If you try to use these as a stock-removal paper, you’ll be disappointed; 220 is a finishing grit. For shaping or flattening, start heavier (80–150), then jump to these to refine.

Fit, compatibility, and that replaceable tip

Fit on my Mega Mouse pad was secure, with clean indexing to the pad shape. Dust holes lined up properly, and the extraction worked as expected. The standout detail here is the replaceable tip: you can tear off the small front piece once it’s worn and swap in a fresh one. This matters because the point of a detail pad does disproportionate work—grinding into corners, picture frame profiles, and window muntins. Swapping a fresh tip extended the usable life of each sheet, especially when I was dealing with inside corners where pressure concentrates.

Do note that the rest of the sheet will still wear normally. The replaceable tip doesn’t turn a finishing paper into a forever consumable; it just gives you a little more runway on the most abused section. I got roughly 20–30% more corner work by using the spare tip intelligently.

Abrasive and clogging behavior

The aluminum oxide abrasive is fine-grained and sheds consistently, which helps resist clogging. On bare wood and between coats of waterborne finish, the sheets stayed relatively clean as long as dust extraction was active. Where I saw more loading was on older oil-based paint and resinous softwoods. That’s not a surprise for 220 grit; the particles are small and fill quickly with softened material. A quick tap on the bench and a blast from a vacuum nozzle cleared most of it, and compressed air restored the cutting edges well enough to finish a pass.

If you’re sanding freshly cured waterborne topcoat, you’ll likely get an entire door or a couple of shelves out of one sheet before it loses its bite. On sticky paint, plan for faster turnover—no miracle here. Using light pressure and letting the sander do the work makes a noticeable difference; push hard and you’ll glaze the abrasive and burn through the backing sooner.

Durability and wear

These sheets sit in the middle of the pack for life. The backing is flexible enough to contour but not so heavy that it resists edge fray. The point wears first (hence the replaceable tip), followed by the leading edges along the long sides. Running with dust extraction on and avoiding heavy pressure extended life more than any other variable in my testing.

Where I’d rate them as “average” is on aggressive applications they weren’t meant for: flattening mill marks or blending flush plugs. The edges will crumble if you lean hard on them or try to use them like 120 grit. Treat them as a finishing consumable, and they hold up fine for a 5-pack. Tackle prep on cabinets or trim for a weekend project and you’ll probably use two or three sheets. Sand a whole room’s worth of trim repaint prep and you’ll go through the pack. That’s normal at this grit.

Dust collection and work cleanliness

One of the quiet benefits of using these is how clean they run on a compatible sander with the vacuum attached. Alignment of the perforations is good, and fine dust stayed under control even when I was knocking down nibs between finish coats. The less dust you leave on the surface, the fewer swirls you create, and the better your finish lays down. I found that a quick vacuum pass and tack cloth after sanding produced consistently clean results.

Use cases where they shine

• Between-coat denibbing on waterborne polyurethane and lacquer
• Scuff-sanding prefinished trim and doors before repainting
• Final pass on hardwood edges and small faces before a wipe-on finish
• Corner cleanup and profile easing on small furniture parts
• Light rust cleanup on metal before primer (with minimal pressure)

In all of these, the sheets delivered a smooth, even surface without overcutting. The replaceable tip saved a couple of sheets on multi-pane window work where the point gets abused.

Tips to get the most from them

• Don’t bear down. Let the sander and abrasive do the work. Excess pressure heats the surface and glazes the grit.
• Use dust extraction. It dramatically reduces clogging and extends life, especially on softwoods and finishes.
• Rotate the sheet. If your sander pad allows, shift the sheet to present a fresher edge before it wears through.
• Swap the tip sooner than later. If the point loses bite, replace it before you start mashing corners and rounding profiles.
• Step through grits properly. Use 120/150 to remove material, then 180/220 to refine. You’ll save sheets and time.

Value and alternatives

As a five-pack, these make sense for small projects and finishing punch lists. If you’re prepping an entire kitchen or stripping back stubborn paint, you’ll burn through them quickly—not because they’re subpar, but because 220 grit isn’t the right tool for bulk removal. In that scenario, buy a mix of coarser sheets and keep the 220s for the final passes.

Compared to generic Mouse-compatible papers I’ve used, these run cleaner and more consistent, with fewer random deep scratches that show up at finish time. The replaceable tip is a real, practical advantage if your workload includes lots of corners and profiles. If your work is mostly flat panels, that feature matters less.

The bottom line

These 220-grit Mega Mouse sheets do exactly what I want a finishing paper to do: cut predictably, leave a fine, uniform surface, work cleanly with dust extraction, and give me a little extra value at the pointy end with a replaceable tip. Durability is solid for a finishing grit—average if you push them into heavier tasks, better than average if you use them as intended and keep the dust moving.

Recommendation: I recommend these for anyone using a Mega Mouse–style sander who needs a reliable 220-grit finishing sheet, particularly if you’re frequently working in corners and profiles where the replaceable tip pays off. They’re a sensible choice for trim repaint prep, between-coat sanding, and final passes on furniture parts. If you’re expecting them to handle heavy stock removal or whole-house prep, step down in grit and treat these as the last step; used that way, they’re worth the space in your drawer.