CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 27, 2019	Sep. 28, 2018	Sep. 27, 2019	Sep. 28, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 846,519	$ 524,022	$ 2,439,085	$ 1,618,152
Cost of sales	478,377	352,749	1,433,872	1,070,371
Gross profit	368,142	171,273	1,005,213	547,781
Selling, general and administrative expense	290,500	129,558	846,288	403,370
Restructuring and other related charges	9,781	6,659	47,197	19,643
Operating income	67,861	35,056	111,728	124,768
Pension settlement loss	33,616	0	33,616	0
Interest expense, net	31,828	11,611	86,820	33,455
Loss on short-term investments	0	0	0	10,128
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	2,417	23,445	(8,708)	81,185
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(1,353)	6,787	6,840	(4,076)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	3,770	16,658	(15,548)	85,261
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	9,024	18,544	(486,265)	20,762
Net income (loss)	12,794	35,202	(501,813)	106,023
Less: income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of taxes	2,320	3,892	8,970	11,721
Net income (loss) attributable to Colfax Corporation	$ 10,474	$ 31,310	$ (510,783)	$ 94,302
Net income (loss) per share - basic
Continuing operations	$ 0.02	$ 0.14	$ (0.14)	$ 0.69
Discontinued operations	0.06	0.13	(3.63)	0.09
Consolidated operations	0.08	0.27	(3.77)	0.78
Net income (loss) per share - diluted
Continuing operations	0.02	0.14	(0.14)	0.69
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share	0.06	0.13	(3.63)	0.09
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 0.08	$ 0.26	$ (3.77)	$ 0.77