CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ 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, 2014	$ 1.5	$ 1,215.0	$ (208.4)	$ (135.3)	$ (3.2)		$ 19.0
Balance at beginning of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	149.9
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock issued for initial public offering (in shares)	0.0
Common stock issued for initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions	$ 0.0	0.0
Common stock issued to employees for deferred stock units (in shares)	0.0
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)	0.0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		0.0					0.0
Common stock issued for management		4.2
Common stock issued for management (in shares)	0.4
Net income (loss)			(351.2)				(0.8)	$ (352.0)
Dividends to minority stockholders							(0.9)
Transfer of noncontrolling interest AOCI to consolidated AOCI							(2.0)
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net				(136.3)				(136.3)
Foreign currency (losses) gains, net				32.6				32.6
Unrecognized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net				(15.9)				(15.9)
Pension and other postretirement prior service cost and gain or loss, net				(10.7)				(10.7)
Purchases of treasury stock					(2.1)
Correction of purchase accounting allocation							0.0
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 1.5	1,219.2	(559.6)	(265.6)	(5.3)	$ 390.2	15.3	405.5
Balance at end of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	150.3
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock issued for initial public offering (in shares)	0.0
Common stock issued for initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions	$ 0.0	0.0
Common stock issued to employees for deferred stock units (in shares)	0.0
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)	0.0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		0.0					0.0
Common stock issued for management		3.2
Common stock issued for management (in shares)	0.3
Net income (loss)			(36.6)				5.3	(31.3)
Dividends to minority stockholders							(0.9)
Transfer of noncontrolling interest AOCI to consolidated AOCI							1.4
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net				(76.2)				(76.2)
Foreign currency (losses) gains, net				13.6				13.6
Unrecognized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net				(0.9)				(0.9)
Pension and other postretirement prior service cost and gain or loss, net				(13.3)				(13.3)
Purchases of treasury stock					(14.1)
Correction of purchase accounting allocation							(15.2)	(15.3)
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 1.5	1,222.4	(596.2)	(342.4)	(19.4)	265.9	5.9	271.8
Balance at end of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	150.6
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common stock issued for initial public offering (in shares)	47.5
Common stock issued for initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions	$ 0.5	897.2
Common stock issued to employees for deferred stock units (in shares)	0.2
Costs related to initial public offering		(4.6)
Stock-based compensation		157.3
Exercise of stock options	$ 0.0	0.7
Exercise of stock options (in shares)	0.1
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		2.4					(7.6)
Common stock issued for management		0.0
Common stock issued for management (in shares)	0.0
Net income (loss)			18.4				0.1	18.5
Dividends to minority stockholders							0.0
Transfer of noncontrolling interest AOCI to consolidated AOCI							1.6
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net				157.6				157.6
Foreign currency (losses) gains, net				(51.6)				(51.6)
Unrecognized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net				12.4				12.4
Pension and other postretirement prior service cost and gain or loss, net				24.2				24.2
Purchases of treasury stock					(3.6)
Correction of purchase accounting allocation							0.0
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 2.0	$ 2,275.4	$ (577.8)	$ (199.8)	$ (23.0)	$ 1,476.8	$ 0.0	$ 1,476.8
Balance at end of period (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017	198.4