Segment Information (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) group_presidents segments dealers	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information
Number of group presidents \| group_presidents	5
Number of operating segments \| segments	6
Useful life to amortize goodwill for segment assets	20 years
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	$ 9,822	$ 9,461
Depreciation and amortization	710	740
Consolidated profit before taxes	289	365
Segment assets	77,549		$ 74,704
Capital expenditures	$ 509	740
All Other operating segments
Segment Reporting Information
Number of group presidents \| group_presidents	1
Number of smaller operating segments led by Group President \| group_presidents	2
Number of wholly-owned dealers involved in segment reallocation \| dealers	1
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	$ 37	38
Depreciation and amortization	54	52
Consolidated profit before taxes	(13)	(7)
Segment assets	1,355		1,381
Capital expenditures	20	16
Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	$ 10,773	10,224
Reportable Segments
Segment Reporting Information
Number of operating segments led by Group Presidents \| segments	3
Number of operating segments led by Group President responsible for corporate services \| segments	1
Reportable Segments
Number of reportable segments \| segments	4
Sales and revenues	$ 9,877	9,513
Depreciation and amortization	595	639
Consolidated profit before taxes	1,528	922
Segment assets	55,480		55,517
Capital expenditures	404	507
Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	896	711
Machinery, Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	10,013	9,481
Machinery, Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	9,117	8,770
Depreciation and amortization	387	434
Consolidated profit before taxes	1,345	754
Segment assets	19,113		20,293
Capital expenditures	158	210
Machinery, Energy & Transportation \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	896	711
Construction Industries \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	4,116	4,051
Construction Industries \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	4,091	4,043
Depreciation and amortization	102	113
Consolidated profit before taxes	635	440
Segment assets	4,826		5,367
Capital expenditures	21	28
Construction Industries \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	25	8
Resource Industries \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	1,761	1,520
Resource Industries \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	1,670	1,449
Depreciation and amortization	127	155
Consolidated profit before taxes	158	(96)
Segment assets	6,797		7,135
Capital expenditures	21	35
Resource Industries \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	91	71
Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	4,136	3,910
Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	3,356	3,278
Depreciation and amortization	158	166
Consolidated profit before taxes	552	410
Segment assets	7,490		7,791
Capital expenditures	116	147
Energy & Transportation \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	780	632
Financial Products Segment \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	760	743
Financial Products Segment \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	760	743
Depreciation and amortization	208	205
Consolidated profit before taxes	183	168
Segment assets	36,367		$ 35,224
Capital expenditures	246	297
Financial Products Segment \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	$ 0	$ 0

The number of group presidents that comprise the reporting entity's executive office.

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Represents the number of operating segments that are led by the group president who is responsible for corporate services.

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Number of wholly-owned dealers moved from one operating segment to different operating segment.

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Amount of total capital expenditures attributable to the reportable segments.

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Represents the useful life used to amortize goodwill to allocate to segments assets.

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Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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The aggregate expense recognized in the current period that allocates the cost of tangible assets, intangible assets, or depleting assets to periods that benefit from use of the assets.

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Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations before deduction of income tax expense (benefit) and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, and addition of income (loss) from equity method investments.

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Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

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Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

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