CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	Common Stock [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Total
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 1.5	$ 1,219.2	$ (559.6)	$ (265.6)	$ (5.3)		$ 15.3
Balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	150,247
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock issued	$ 0.0	0.0
Common stock issued (in shares)	0
Common stock issued for management	$ 0.0	2.9
Common stock issued for management (in shares)	277
Costs related to initial public offering		0.0
Stock-based compensation		0.0
Exercise of stock options	$ 0.0	0.0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)	0
Net income (loss)			(13.5)				(0.5)	$ (14.0)
Transfer of noncontrolling interest AOCI to consolidated AOCI							0.0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		0.0					0.0
Dividends to minority stockholders							(0.9)
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net				5.2			0.4	5.2
Foreign currency losses, net				(5.7)				(5.7)
Unrecognized losses on cash flow hedges, net				(14.7)				(14.7)
Pension and other postretirement prior service cost and gain or loss, net				4.8				4.8
Purchases of treasury stock					(10.6)
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2016	$ 1.5	1,222.1	(573.1)	(276.0)	(15.9)	$ 358.6	14.3	372.9
Balance at end of period (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2016	150,524
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 1.5	1,222.4	(596.2)	(342.4)	(19.4)		5.9	271.8
Balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	150,552
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock issued	$ 0.5	897.2
Common stock issued (in shares)	47,495
Common stock issued for management	$ 0.0	0.0
Common stock issued for management (in shares)	0
Costs related to initial public offering		(4.3)
Stock-based compensation		142.3
Exercise of stock options	$ 0.0	0.2
Exercise of stock options (in shares)	27
Net income (loss)			(153.3)				0.1	(153.2)
Transfer of noncontrolling interest AOCI to consolidated AOCI							1.6
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		2.4					(7.6)
Dividends to minority stockholders							0.0
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net				89.9			0.0	89.9
Foreign currency losses, net				(29.4)				(29.4)
Unrecognized losses on cash flow hedges, net				1.5				1.5
Pension and other postretirement prior service cost and gain or loss, net				(1.3)				(1.3)
Purchases of treasury stock					(2.6)
Balance at end of period at Jun. 30, 2017	$ 2.0	$ 2,260.2	$ (749.5)	$ (281.7)	$ (22.0)	$ 1,209.0	$ 0.0	$ 1,209.0
Balance at end of period (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2017	198,074