Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 22,046	$ 16,311	$ 16,049
Cost of products sold	15,369	11,448	11,261
Selling and administrative expense	3,886	2,894	2,738
Research and development expense	644	439	417
Interest expense (income) - net	271	208	118
Other expense (income) - net	(8)	71	(38)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	1,884	1,251	1,553
Income tax (benefit) expense	11	31	201
Net income	1,873	1,220	1,352
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(12)	(3)	(2)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,861	1,217	1,350
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	404	0	(616)
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	2,265	1,217	734
Eaton Corporation plc [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of products sold	0	0
Selling and administrative expense	32	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	0	0
Other expense (income) - net	0	0
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(2,147)	(1,219)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	254	2
Income before income taxes	1,861	1,217
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0
Net income	1,861	1,217
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,861	1,217
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	404	0
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	2,265	1,217
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	6,695	6,680	6,294
Cost of products sold	5,227	5,115	4,865
Selling and administrative expense	1,400	1,307	1,201
Research and development expense	255	230	207
Interest expense (income) - net	271	229	144
Other expense (income) - net	8	10	(18)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(1,156)	(732)	(1,271)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(155)	(237)	(224)
Income before income taxes	845	758	1,390
Income tax (benefit) expense	(108)	24	40
Net income	953	734	1,350
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	953	734	1,350
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	300	290	(616)
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,253	1,024	734
Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	6,421	2,849	2,642
Cost of products sold	4,784	2,193	1,975
Selling and administrative expense	749	335	295
Research and development expense	200	108	112
Interest expense (income) - net	28	8	8
Other expense (income) - net	4	48	(2)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(1,214)	(1,337)	(61)
Intercompany expense (income) - net	(479)	42	(13)
Income before income taxes	2,349	1,452	328
Income tax (benefit) expense	(90)	0	89
Net income	2,439	1,452	239
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	2,439	1,452	239
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	481	(1,976)	(64)
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	2,920	(524)	175
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	13,579	10,346	10,520
Cost of products sold	10,010	7,708	7,822
Selling and administrative expense	1,705	1,252	1,242
Research and development expense	189	101	98
Interest expense (income) - net	(22)	(29)	(34)
Other expense (income) - net	(20)	13	(18)
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	(813)	(611)	0
Intercompany expense (income) - net	380	193	237
Income before income taxes	2,150	1,719	1,173
Income tax (benefit) expense	207	6	74
Net income	1,943	1,713	1,099
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(9)	(3)	(1)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	1,934	1,710	1,098
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	363	(1,621)	(302)
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	2,297	89	796
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(4,649)	(3,564)	(3,407)
Cost of products sold	(4,652)	(3,568)	(3,401)
Selling and administrative expense	0	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0	0
Interest expense (income) - net	(6)	0	0
Other expense (income) - net	0	0	0
Equity in (earnings) loss of subsidiaries, net of tax	5,330	3,899	1,332
Intercompany expense (income) - net	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	(5,321)	(3,895)	(1,338)
Income tax (benefit) expense	2	1	(2)
Net income	(5,323)	(3,896)	(1,336)
Less net income for noncontrolling interests	(3)	0	(1)
Net income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(5,326)	(3,896)	(1,337)
Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	(1,144)	3,307	366
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Eaton ordinary shareholders	$ (6,470)	$ (589)	$ (971)