Restructuring and Other Charges (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2011	Oct. 03, 2010	Oct. 02, 2011	Oct. 03, 2010	Oct. 02, 2011 Facilities consolidation 2011 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Elimination of redundancies 2011 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Relocation expenses 2009 Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance	Oct. 03, 2010 Severance 2009 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Severance 2009 Actions	Jul. 03, 2011 Severance 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Jul. 03, 2011 Severance 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance 2011 Actions Europe	Jul. 03, 2011 Severance 2011 Actions Europe	Apr. 03, 2011 Severance 2011 Actions Europe	Oct. 03, 2010 Severance 2010 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Severance 2010 Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance 2010 Actions Europe	Jul. 03, 2011 Severance 2010 Actions Europe	Apr. 03, 2011 Severance 2010 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2010 Severance 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2009 Severance 2010 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 Severance 2010 Actions North America	Dec. 31, 2010 Severance 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 03, 2010 Severance Other Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Severance Other Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 Asset write-downs 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2010 Asset write-downs 2010 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Asset write-downs 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 Asset write-downs 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 Facility exit and other 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Oct. 02, 2011 Facility exit and other 2011 Actions Europe	Apr. 03, 2011 Facility exit and other 2011 Actions Europe	Jul. 03, 2011 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions Europe	Apr. 03, 2011 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2010 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2009 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions North America	Apr. 03, 2011 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 Facility exit and other 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 03, 2010 Accelerated depreciation 2010 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Accelerated depreciation 2010 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 2009 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 2009 Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 2010 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 2010 Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 2010 Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 2010 Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 2010 Actions Europe	Jul. 03, 2011 2010 Actions Europe	Apr. 03, 2011 2010 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2010 2010 Actions Europe	Dec. 31, 2009 2010 Actions Europe	Sep. 30, 2011 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 2010 Actions North America	Apr. 03, 2011 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 2010 Actions North America	Dec. 31, 2010 2010 Actions North America	Oct. 02, 2011 2011 Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 2011 Actions	Jul. 03, 2011 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Jul. 03, 2011 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Oct. 02, 2011 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S	Oct. 02, 2011 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 2011 Actions Danfoss Socla S.A.S China	Oct. 02, 2011 2011 Actions Europe	Jul. 03, 2011 2011 Actions Europe	Apr. 03, 2011 2011 Actions Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Other Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Other Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 Other Actions	Oct. 03, 2010 Other Actions	Oct. 02, 2011 Total.	Oct. 03, 2010 Total.	Oct. 02, 2011 Total.	Oct. 03, 2010 Total.	Sep. 30, 2011 North America	Oct. 02, 2011 North America	Oct. 03, 2010 North America	Oct. 02, 2011 North America	Oct. 03, 2010 North America	Oct. 02, 2011 Europe	Oct. 03, 2010 Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 Europe	Oct. 03, 2010 Europe	Oct. 02, 2011 China	Oct. 03, 2010 China	Oct. 02, 2011 TWVC	Dec. 31, 2010 TWVC
Restructuring and other charges
Reduction in payroll cost (as a percent)																																																																																		10.00%
Severance charge								$ 1.1
Other charges related to impairments			0.3	0.2
Restructuring and impairment charges	1.9	3.0	8.5	10.1
Less: amounts included in cost of goods sold				1.3
Net pre-tax restructuring charges	1.9	3.0	8.5	8.8	2.6		0.6		0.2	0.7		2.7	0.1	0.6	0.7	0.1	1.9	5.2		1.5	0.2	0.1				0		0.1	0.3			0.2				0.1	0.3	0.6					0.1		0.8	1.3	0.2	1.3	0.1	2.7	2.8	8.3		1.8	0.8	0.1				0.2	0.1	0		0.7	4.3		2.7	0.1			0.6	0.7	0.2	(1.1)	0.1	(1.1)	0.3	1.9	3.0	8.2	9.9		1.1	2.1	1.2	3.1	0.8	0.9	7.1	6.7	0.2	0.3
Net after-tax charge					1.8
Tax charge on expected sale of equity and remaining assets																																																																																														1.5
Expected net proceeds from sale of equity and remaining assets																																																																																													5.5
Cumulative currency translation adjustment related to sale																																																																																													7.5
Recognition of gain to reverse a tax provision																																																																																													3.3
Original estimate of expected costs																																																											3.3
Total estimated cost (pre-tax)						6.4							5.4			2.4						8.9				1.8				1.7			0.2	1.0		0.2			5.8					0.5												16.4			2.5			2.5						6.4	6.2	0.2	2.6		2.6
Costs incurred											(2.7)		(0.1)	(0.7)	(0.7)	(0.1)			(0.1)	(1.5)	(0.2)		(2.9)	(4.2)			(2.0)				(1.7)					(0.1)	(0.3)	(0.6)		(4.5)	(0.4)		(0.1)										(0.1)	(1.8)	(0.8)		(9.1)	(4.6)			(0.1)		(2.0)			(2.7)		(0.1)			(0.7)	(0.7)	(0.2)
Costs incurred through date																									(0.2)							(0.2)																								16.4						2.1						2.8	2.6	0.2	1.5
Remaining costs													$ 2.6	$ 1.0																				$ 1.0	$ 0.1							$ 0.4														$ 0.4				$ 0.4								$ 3.6	$ 3.6		$ 1.1