Abstract Nickel based super alloys are considered as difficult to machine materials. These days, the sustainable cooling system are applied at the cutting zone for enhancing the machining performance of nickel based super alloys. Therefore, the present work focusses on the machining aspects of Nimonic 80A under different cooling conditions. Moreover, the turning experiments were performed under dry, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL different positions) and nano-MQL (different positions) conditions and the influence of nozzle position during MQL and nano-MQL were investigated. The tool wear, surface roughness, mechanism promoting tool wear, power consumption and chips morphology were investigated under these subjected conditions. The outcomes of this study state that the position of MQL nozzles plays an important role to improve the machining performance of Nimonic-80 alloy. The total tool wear is approximately 60% better for nano-MQL (mixed direction) than dry conditions. The results also stated that abrasion and adhesion are prompting tool wear mechanisms observed under dry conditions.