Sales Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2018		Sep. 29, 2017		Sep. 28, 2018		Sep. 29, 2017
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	$ 1,840.1		$ 1,685.3		$ 5,436.8		$ 4,849.3
Retail fueling
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	446.9	[1]	431.9	[2]	1,256.1	[3]	1,179.9	[4]
Industrial & Manufacturing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	171.7		144.1		503.2		357.6
Vehicle repair
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	146.4	[1]	140.3	[2]	442.9	[3]	433.8	[4]
Utilities & Power
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	32.0		55.1		134.6		152.3
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	553.8		488.2		1,613.7		1,447.4
Total direct sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,350.8		1,259.6		3,950.5		3,571.0
Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	489.3	[1]	425.7	[2]	1,486.3	[3]	1,278.3	[4]
Total Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	837.0		783.4		2,484.2		2,319.2
Professional tools and equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,243.0		1,105.4		3,609.0		3,122.0
Industrial automation, controls and sensors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	318.1		303.5		979.4		899.8
Franchise distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	160.9		155.3		486.0		476.5
All other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	118.1		121.1		362.4		351.0
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	894.1		786.8		2,654.8		2,261.9
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Retail fueling
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	[1]	0.0	[2]	0.0	[3]	0.0	[4]
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Industrial & Manufacturing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	91.6		68.0		279.2		190.6
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Vehicle repair
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	[1]	0.0	[2]	0.0	[3]	0.0	[4]
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Utilities & Power
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	31.2		54.4		132.6		149.3
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	356.4		304.8		989.4		854.7
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Total direct sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	479.2		427.2		1,401.2		1,194.6
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	414.9	[1]	359.6	[2]	1,253.6	[3]	1,067.3	[4]
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Professional tools and equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	729.3		617.3		2,155.6		1,769.2
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Industrial automation, controls and sensors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	99.7		99.6		309.1		294.2
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Franchise distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | All other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	65.1		69.9		190.1		198.5
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	946.0		898.5		2,782.0		2,587.4
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Retail fueling
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	446.9	[1]	431.9	[2]	1,256.1	[3]	1,179.9	[4]
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Industrial & Manufacturing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	80.1		76.1		224.0		167.0
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Vehicle repair
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	146.4	[1]	140.3	[2]	442.9	[3]	433.8	[4]
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Utilities & Power
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.8		0.7		2.0		3.0
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	197.4		183.4		624.3		592.7
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Total direct sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	871.6		832.4		2,549.3		2,376.4
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	74.4	[1]	66.1	[2]	232.7	[3]	211.0	[4]
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Professional tools and equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	513.7		488.1		1,453.4		1,352.8
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Industrial automation, controls and sensors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	218.4		203.9		670.3		605.6
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Franchise distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	160.9		155.3		486.0		476.5
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | All other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	53.0		51.2		172.3		152.5
United States
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,044.5		935.0		2,954.9		2,670.7
United States | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	479.8		384.8		1,324.1		1,068.9
United States | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	564.7		550.2		1,630.8		1,601.8
China
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	142.1		130.9		460.2		395.0
China | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	90.1		84.7		299.4		267.1
China | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	52.0		46.2		160.8		127.9
Germany
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	85.0		80.5		255.8		221.8
Germany | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	34.5		34.0		102.4		90.2
Germany | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	50.5		46.5		153.4		131.6
All other (each country individually less than 5% of total sales)
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	568.5		538.9		1,765.9		1,561.8
All other (each country individually less than 5% of total sales) | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	289.7		283.3		928.9		835.7
All other (each country individually less than 5% of total sales) | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	$ 278.8		$ 255.6		$ 837.0		$ 726.1

[1] (a) Retail fueling and vehicle repair includes sales to these end markets made through third party distributors. Total distributor sales for the three months ended September?28, 2018 was $837.0 million.

[2] (a) Retail fueling and vehicle repair includes sales to these end markets made through third party distributors. Total distributor sales for the three months ended September?29, 2017 was $783.4 million.

[3] (a) Retail fueling and vehicle repair include sales to these end markets made through third-party distributors. Total distributor sales for the nine months ended September?28, 2018 was $2,484.2 million.

[4] (a) Retail fueling and vehicle repair includes sales to these end markets made through third party distributors. Total distributor sales for the nine months ended September?29, 2017 was $2,319.2 million.