Monitoring of machine tool (MT) health is essential to ensure maximum performance and reliability. One way to monitor the health of the MT is to monitor the various components of the MT, including the spindle, cutting tools, and feed drives. Feed drives, for example, have several parameters to monitor, such as the stiffness, preload, backlash, and the subject of this work, friction. Various factors will affect the friction in MTs, primarily preload, lubrication, and wear, these operating characteristics are of interest when monitoring the effects of friction on MT performance. Friction will change at different speeds, at different positions along the axis, as well as changing over time. To monitor it, the friction can be parameterized into a Stribeck friction curve (SFC), which can be monitored over time and position along the axis to get a holistic view of the MT health. This provides a sensor-less monitoring solution which can be part of a greater health management program for the MT. The effectiveness of this method is displayed in a case study where the friction is measured before and after a warm-up cycle and a clear distinction in the SFC is noted. It was observed that the friction is decreased after the warm-up cycle, likely due to the decrease in lubrication viscosity. In addition to the application case that was explored, this method could be used to monitor wear and identify other faults.