Equity-Based Compensation Stock Options Activity (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Options
Closing price of Eaton ordinary shares on last trading day | $ / shares	$ 67.09
Weighted-average exercise price per option [Member]
Weighted-average exercise price per option
Opening balance (usd per share) | $ / shares	51.94
Granted (usd per share) | $ / shares	56.73
Exercised (usd per share) | $ / shares	40.32
Forfeited and cancelled (usd per share) | $ / shares	65.74
Closing balance (usd per share) | $ / shares	56.75
Exercisable at December 31, 2016 | $ / shares	$ 54.28
Stock Options [Member]
Options
Outstanding at January 1, 2016, shares | shares	6.2
Granted, shares | shares	1.3
Exercised, shares | shares	(1.9)
Forfeited and cancelled, shares | shares	(0.1)
Outstanding at December 31, 2016, shares | shares	5.5
Exercisable at December 31, 2016, shares | shares	3.7
Reserved for future grants at December 31, 2016, shares | shares	18.6
Weighted-average remaining contractual life in years [Member]
Options
Outstanding at December 31, 2016	5 years 7 months 6 days
Exercisable at December 31, 2016	4 years
Aggregate Intrinsic Value [Member]
Options
Outstanding at December 31, 2016 | $	$ 64.5
Exercisable at December 31, 2016 | $	$ 51.3