Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Depreciation			$ 21,465	$ 16,742		$ 13,706
Goodwill, Impairment Loss		$ 4,611		$ 4,611
Financial Assumptions Including Sales Growth, Terminal Growth Rate				3.00%
Financial Assumptions Including Sales Growth, Discount Rate				15.70%
Amortization of Financing Costs and Debt Discount Premium			3,939	$ 5,429		6,615
Deferred Costs Amortization Expense, Next Twelve Months			2,516
Deferred Costs Amortization Expense, Year Two			4,314
Deferred Costs Amortization Expense, Year Three			4,466
Deferred Costs Amortization Expense, Year Four			4,420
Deferred Costs Amortization Expense, Year Five			4,419
Advertising Expense			45,488	39,258		32,352
Research and Development Expense			37,229	32,922		31,494
Long-term Debt			903,673
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment			0	40,687	[1]	$ 0
Decrease in Deferred Financing Costs [Member] | December 31, 2015 [Member]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	$ 12,965
Decrease in Deferred Income Taxes Within Current Assets [Member] | December 31, 2015 [Member]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	29,355
Increase in Deferred Income Taxes within Noncurrent Assets [Member] | December 31, 2015 [Member]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	28,139
Decrease in Deferred Income Taxes within Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] | December 31, 2015 [Member]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	$ 1,216
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Fair Value Disclosure			$ 904,780
Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		2 years
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Indefinite-lived (Excluding Goodwill)		$ 36,076		$ (36,076)
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]
Number of Major Customers			1	1
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | One Customer [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			9.00%	11.00%
Sales Revenue, Net [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			7.00%	7.00%		8.00%
Number of Major Customers			0	0		0

[1] Represents the 2015 impairment of certain tradenames due to a change in brand strategy to transition and consolidate various brands to the Generac tradename ($36,076) and the impairment of goodwill related to the Ottomotores reporting unit ($4,611)