DERIVATIVES (Textual) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum period for which derivative contracts cover currency and commodity exposures (in years)	2 years
Hedge ineffectiveness was immaterial	Hedge ineffectiveness was immaterial for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016.
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Reclassification from Accumulated OCI to Income, Estimate of Time to Transfer	12 months
Foreign exchange contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effective Portion, Net	$ (512)
Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Foreign exchange contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount of derivative instruments	36,385	$ 30,388
Designated as Hedging Instruments \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount of derivative instruments	100,000
Not designated as hedging instruments \| Foreign exchange contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount of derivative instruments	$ 261,168	267,626
Not designated as hedging instruments \| Silver forward contract
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount of derivative instruments		$ 2,804
Minimum
Derivative [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.59%
Maximum
Derivative [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.80%

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum period covered by derivative contracts to hedge currency and commodity exposures, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	leco_MaximumPeriodforwhichDerivativeContractsCoverCurrencyandCommodityExposures
Namespace Prefix:	leco_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated net amount of existing gains or losses on cash flow hedges at the reporting date expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next 12 months.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35736893&loc=d3e80748-113994

+ Details

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

- Definition

A disclosure of an assertion that the amount of cash flow hedge ineffectiveness is immaterial.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4C
-Subparagraph (d)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624171-113959

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Estimated period for the anticipated transfer of gain (loss), net, from accumulated other comprehensive income into earnings, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossReclassificationFromAccumulatedOCIToIncomeEstimateOfTimeToTransfer1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=leco_SilverCommodityForwardContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: