Fair Value Inputs, Annual Revenue Growth Rate

No definition available.

Name:	cmco_FairValueInputsAnnualRevenueGrowthRate
Namespace Prefix:	cmco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair Value Inputs, Attrition Rate for Customer Relationships

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmco_FairValueInputsAttritionRateforCustomerRelationships
Namespace Prefix:	cmco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair Value Inputs, Engineering Cost Per Hour

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmco_FairValueInputsEngineeringCostPerHour
Namespace Prefix:	cmco_
Data Type:	us-types:perUnitItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair Value Inputs, Royalty Rate

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmco_FairValueInputsRoyaltyRate
Namespace Prefix:	cmco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueBalanceSheetGroupingFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Adjustment to the discount rate used to measure fair value for lack of ability to convert business interests into cash quickly.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountForLackOfMarketability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of assumed long-term growth in revenues, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsLongTermRevenueGrowthRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with an indefinite life, from an acquisition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefinitelivedIntangibleAssetsAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses on equity securities, OTTI related to credit losses on debt securities, and OTTI losses on debt securities when the entity intends to sell the securities or it is more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell the securities before recovery of its amortized cost basis. Additionally, this item includes OTTI losses recognized during the period on investments accounted for under the cost method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=SL6284393-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The average discount rate applied to insurance contracts to determine future policy benefits to be paid to or on behalf of policyholders.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65670685&loc=d3e14881-158438

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_WeightedAverageDiscountRatePercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cmco_STBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cmco_STAHLMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cmco_MagnetekMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cmco_UnifiedIndustriesInc.Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cmco_AllAcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsNonrecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cmco_ReportingUnitAxis=cmco_RestofProductsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_GoodwillMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cmco_ReportingUnitAxis=cmco_DuffNortonMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Fair Value Measurements (Narratives) (Details)	12 Months Ended
Fair Value Measurements (Narratives) (Details)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / h	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2009 USD ($)
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Recognition of pre-tax charge to earnings			$ 4,014,000
STB [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired	$ 0.003
STAHL [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	10.50%
Magnetek [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	11.60%
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired	$ 0.025
Unified Industries, Inc. [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired	$ 0.013
AllAcquisitions [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	11.40%
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring \| (Level 3) \| STB [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Attrition rate for customer relationships	4086.00%
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring \| (Level 3) \| STAHL [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Attrition rate for customer relationships	10.00%
Royalty rate	1.00%
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring \| (Level 3) \| Magnetek [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Attrition rate for customer relationships	5.00%
Engineering cost per hour \| $ / h	70.00
Royalty rate	2.50%
Minimum \| Magnetek [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	0.00%
Royalty rate	4.00%
Maximum \| STAHL [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Royalty rate	2.00%
Maximum \| Magnetek [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount for Lack of Marketability	80.00%
Royalty rate	5.00%
Rest of Products [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring \| (Level 3) \| Goodwill [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Weighted average cost per capital (percentage)	10.00%	9.90%
Annual revenue growth rate for first five years	3.24%	4.60%
Long term revenue growth rate after five years	3.00%	3.00%
Duff Norton [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring \| (Level 3) \| Goodwill [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Weighted average cost per capital (percentage)	10.20%	10.00%
Annual revenue growth rate for first five years	3.90%	4.00%
Long term revenue growth rate after five years	3.50%	3.00%