Sales - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 28, 2019	Jun. 29, 2018	Jun. 28, 2019	Jun. 29, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	$ 1,864.7	$ 1,601.8	$ 3,457.6	$ 3,094.0
Retail fueling
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	486.3	460.9	874.5	809.2
Industrial & Manufacturing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	114.1	115.7	223.7	221.2
Vehicle repair
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	139.5	137.7	293.3	296.5
Utilities & Power
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	49.1	46.0	98.7	101.4
Medical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	265.3	98.1	364.3	194.8
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	391.5	324.4	769.2	623.4
Total direct sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,445.8	1,182.8	2,623.7	2,246.5
Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	418.9	419.0	833.9	847.5
Total Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	773.1	796.7	1,518.3	1,524.8
Products
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,623.0	1,439.5	3,028.1	2,771.9
Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	241.7	162.3	429.5	322.1
Professional tools and equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,255.7	1,169.5	2,407.9	2,214.9
Industrial automation, controls and sensors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	127.6	131.6	247.3	261.3
Franchise distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	154.2	152.2	323.2	325.2
Medical technologies
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	265.3	98.1	364.3	194.8
All other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	61.9	50.4	114.9	97.8
Professional Instrumentation
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,133.3	889.0	2,080.6	1,760.7
Professional Instrumentation | Products
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	966.5	791.0	1,792.3	1,567.6
Professional Instrumentation | Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	166.8	98.0	288.3	193.1
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,133.3	889.0	2,080.6	1,760.7
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Retail fueling
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Industrial & Manufacturing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	97.4	97.2	194.2	187.6
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Vehicle repair
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Utilities & Power
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	49.1	46.0	98.7	101.4
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Medical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	263.4	96.7	360.0	191.5
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	323.5	247.6	630.8	467.1
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Total direct sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	733.4	487.5	1,283.7	947.6
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	399.9	401.5	796.9	813.1
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Professional tools and equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	711.2	643.4	1,416.8	1,274.3
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Industrial automation, controls and sensors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	96.8	98.5	188.9	197.1
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Franchise distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | Medical technologies
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	263.4	96.7	360.0	191.5
Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments | All other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	61.9	50.4	114.9	97.8
Industrial Technologies
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	731.4	712.8	1,377.0	1,333.3
Industrial Technologies | Products
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	656.5	648.5	1,235.8	1,204.3
Industrial Technologies | Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	74.9	64.3	141.2	129.0
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	731.4	712.8	1,377.0	1,333.3
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Retail fueling
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	486.3	460.9	874.5	809.2
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Industrial & Manufacturing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	16.7	18.5	29.5	33.6
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Vehicle repair
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	139.5	137.7	293.3	296.5
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Utilities & Power
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Medical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1.9	1.4	4.3	3.3
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	68.0	76.8	138.4	156.3
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Total direct sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	712.4	695.3	1,340.0	1,298.9
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Distributors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	19.0	17.5	37.0	34.4
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Professional tools and equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	544.5	526.1	991.1	940.6
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Industrial automation, controls and sensors
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	30.8	33.1	58.4	64.2
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Franchise distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	154.2	152.2	323.2	325.2
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | Medical technologies
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1.9	1.4	4.3	3.3
Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments | All other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
United States
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	1,077.7	861.0	1,965.3	1,649.7
United States | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	615.6	434.0	1,101.6	840.4
United States | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	462.1	427.0	863.7	809.3
China
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	154.3	146.6	304.3	290.2
China | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	126.4	116.6	254.8	241.7
China | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	27.9	30.0	49.5	48.5
All other (each country individually less than 5% of total sales)
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	632.7	594.2	1,188.0	1,154.1
All other (each country individually less than 5% of total sales) | Professional Instrumentation | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	391.3	338.4	724.2	678.6
All other (each country individually less than 5% of total sales) | Industrial Technologies | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Sales	$ 241.4	$ 255.8	$ 463.8	$ 475.5