SELECTED FINANCIAL STATEMENT INFORMATION (Details Textuals) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2019	Oct. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 173,345	$ 154,739	$ 129,883
Amortization	57,739	53,952	42,945
Assets under capital lease	11,700	11,900
Assets under capital lease, accumulated depreciation	2,100	1,500
Depreciation and amortization	83,497	77,191	64,823
Total customer rebates and credits deducted within net sales	$ 9,000	9,900	11,000
Other Assets and Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Match	50.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Employees' Gross Pay	6.00%
Contributions to the plan charged	$ 6,100	5,900	4,600
Deferred compensation plans	151,891	132,737
Leadership Compensation Plan [Member]
Other Assets and Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Employee related deferred compensation plans, specified as other long-term liabilities	151,100	125,800
Tooling [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net	8,800	8,200
Amortization	3,100	2,800	2,700
Property, Plant and Equipment, Exclusive of Tooling [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization	25,800	23,200	$ 21,900
Leadership Compensation Plan [Member]
Other Assets and Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Deferred compensation plans	$ 151,900	$ 126,800

The total customer rebates and credits expense deducted within net sales.

No definition available.

Name:	hei_AccruedCustomerRebatesAndCreditsExpense
Namespace Prefix:	hei_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Other Assets and Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hei_OtherAssetsandLiabilitiesNoncurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	hei_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate amount of recurring noncash expense charged against earnings in the period to allocate the cost of assets over their estimated remaining economic lives.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before accumulated depreciation of leased physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84164758&loc=d3e45014-112735

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasedAssetsGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total charge for the use of long-lived depreciable assets subject to a lease meeting the criteria for capitalization.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84164758&loc=d3e45014-112735

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesLesseeBalanceSheetAssetsByMajorClassAccumulatedDeprecation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of contributions made by employer into fund established for purposes of making future disbursement to individual in accordance with deferred compensation arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualContributionsByEmployer
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for all deferred compensation arrangements payable beyond one year (or the operating cycle, if longer).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityClassifiedNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of assets held under deferred compensation agreements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationPlanAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of employees' gross pay for which the employer contributes a matching contribution to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage employer matches of the employee's percentage contribution matched.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The aggregate expense recognized in the current period that allocates the cost of tangible assets, intangible assets, or depleting assets to periods that benefit from use of the assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(14))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(8))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(13))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsByTypeOfDeferredCompensationAxis=hei_LeadershipCompensationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_ToolsDiesAndMoldsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=hei_PropertyPlantandEquipmentExclusiveofToolingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	hei_DeferredCompensationPlanAssetCategoriesAxis=hei_LeadershipCompensationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: