Acquisitions of Businesses (Details) (USD $)			12 Months Ended										9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	May 18, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012 Rolec Comercial e Industrial S.A. [Domain] Electrical Americas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Jeil Hydraulics Co. Ltd. [Member] Hydraulics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi ve Pazarlama A.S. [Domain] Hydraulics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Gycom Electrical Low-Voltage Power Distribution, Control and Automation [Domain] Electrical Rest of World [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 E.A. Pedersen Company [Member] Electrical Americas [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 IE Power, Inc. [Member] Electrical Americas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 E. Begerow GmbH Co. KG [Member] Hydraulics [Member]	May 31, 2011 ACTOM Low Voltage [Member] Electrical Rest of World [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 C.I. ESI de Colombia S.A. [Member] Electrical Americas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Internormen Technology Group [Member] Hydraulics [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Eaton-SAMC (Shanghai Aircraft) Conveyance System Manufacturing Co., Ltd [Member] Aerospace [Member]	Nov. 30, 2010 Tuthill Coupling Group [Member] Hydraulics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Cooper Industries plc [Domain]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, revenue reported by acquired entity for last annual period			$ 85,000,000	$ 189,000,000	$ 335,000,000	$ 24,000,000	$ 37,000,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 84,000,000	$ 65,000,000	$ 8,000,000	$ 55,000,000	$ 0	$ 35,000,000	$ 5,400,000,000
Cooper shareholders receipt of cash per ordinary share of Cooper Industries plc		39.15
Cooper shareholder % receipt of a New Eaton share for an ordinary share of Copper Industries plc		77.479%
Total consideration to be paid to Cooper Industries shareholders	$ 11,800,000,000
Compensation to Cooper shareholders based on closing price of Eaton common stock		$ 42.40
Former Eaton shareholders ownership of New Eaton		73.00%
Former Copper Industries shareholders ownership of New Eaton		27.00%