Segment Information (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) group_presidents segments dealers	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	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	$ 11,413	$ 9,160	$ 32,566	$ 28,963
Depreciation and amortization	723	761	2,153	2,255
Consolidated profit before taxes	1,523	383	2,971	1,487
Segment assets	78,560		78,560		$ 74,704
Capital expenditures	513	595	$ 1,637	2,200
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	56	28	$ 126	107
Depreciation and amortization	52	53	162	158
Consolidated profit before taxes	6	(22)	(27)	(43)
Segment assets	1,345		1,345		1,381
Capital expenditures	26	35	71	102
Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	12,454	9,939	$ 35,550	31,282
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	11,459	9,214	$ 32,742	29,119
Depreciation and amortization	597	652	1,788	1,942
Consolidated profit before taxes	2,045	1,004	5,462	3,117
Segment assets	54,252		54,252		55,517
Capital expenditures	512	568	1,538	1,882
Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	995	725	2,808	2,163
Machinery, Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	11,680	9,190	33,240	29,031
Machinery, Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	10,685	8,465	30,432	26,868
Depreciation and amortization	393	437	1,172	1,309
Consolidated profit before taxes	1,860	821	4,903	2,564
Segment assets	18,837		18,837		20,293
Capital expenditures	204	211	520	616
Machinery, Energy & Transportation \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	995	725	2,808	2,163
Construction Industries \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	4,886	3,581	13,945	12,070
Construction Industries \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	4,854	3,554	13,875	12,023
Depreciation and amortization	99	117	301	346
Consolidated profit before taxes	884	326	2,420	1,316
Segment assets	4,739		4,739		5,367
Capital expenditures	50	46	107	114
Construction Industries \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	32	27	70	47
Resource Industries \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	1,956	1,446	5,553	4,480
Resource Industries \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	1,870	1,377	5,299	4,283
Depreciation and amortization	129	150	386	458
Consolidated profit before taxes	226	(77)	481	(336)
Segment assets	6,596		6,596		7,135
Capital expenditures	41	68	93	162
Resource Industries \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	86	69	254	197
Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	4,838	4,163	13,742	12,481
Energy & Transportation \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	3,961	3,534	11,258	10,562
Depreciation and amortization	165	170	485	505
Consolidated profit before taxes	750	572	2,002	1,584
Segment assets	7,502		7,502		7,791
Capital expenditures	113	97	320	340
Energy & Transportation \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	877	629	2,484	1,919
Financial Products Segment \| Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	774	749	2,310	2,251
Financial Products Segment \| Reportable Segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	774	749	2,310	2,251
Depreciation and amortization	204	215	616	633
Consolidated profit before taxes	185	183	559	553
Segment assets	35,415		35,415		$ 35,224
Capital expenditures	308	357	1,018	1,266
Financial Products Segment \| Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	$ 0	$ 0	$ 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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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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