Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue	$ 208,725	$ 196,080	$ 625,279	$ 582,996
Total	248,246		248,246
Goodwill	$ 341,619		$ 341,619		$ 319,299
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)		$ (769)		$ 15,129
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ (0.46)	$ (0.03)	$ 0.60	$ 0.67
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ (0.46)	$ (0.03)	$ 0.59	$ 0.67

-- None. No documentation exists for this element. --

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	cmco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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- Definition

The pro forma basic net income per share for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(2)-(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The pro forma diluted net income per share for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The pro forma net Income or Loss for the period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

The pro forma revenue for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of the period.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition

Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13770-109266

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77989000&loc=SL49117168-202975

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