In order to characterize the machine tool feed-drive dynamics, thread cutting experiments are performed with cutting conditions and slide-way lubrication varied. During the experiments, the carriage, tool post and tail stock accelerations in the feed direction are measured, and analyzed by employing the spectral analysis method. It is found that the tool post vibration in the feed direction during thread cutting operation is mainly due to those of the carriage and the workpiece. Other structure-related vibrations show little effects on the tool post vibration. The characteristics of the carriage vibration is shown to be fairly consistent, except the vibration amplitude, regardless the variations in cutting condition and lubrication within the experimental range. The experimental results suggest that the feeddrive system can be modelled as a 2 DOF damped oscillatory system.