Understanding how tool deterioration affects total force (F) during milling of Ni-based superalloys is important for the improvement of machinability of the alloys and serves to clarify whether and how an F-based method for monitoring tool deterioration is possible. In this study, a series of milling experiments have been conducted on 718Plus Ni-based alloy using cemented tungsten carbide tool inserts. F was monitored, and the conventional flank wear (VB max ) to represent insert deterioration was measured. As would be expected, the general trend of how F increased as the number of milling pass (N pass ) increased agreed with the general trend of increasing VB max as N pass increased. But the F-VB max plot has shown a rather poor F-VB max relationship. This was the results of the different modes of tool deterioration affecting VB max differently, but VB max did not represent fully the true cutting edge of the deteriorating tool insert. Chipping and breakage of the inserts confined in the cutting edge area, resulting in the significant blunting of the edge, caused a high rate of F increase as VB max increased. Fracturing along the flank face of thin pieces effectively increased VB max without increasing the cutting edge area and without further blunting the edge, thus no increase in F was required. That the high rate, meaning high ΔF/ ΔVB max , results from the effect of edge deterioration/ blunting on reducing the effective rake angle and thus increasing F is suggested and discussed.