Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2024	Apr. 01, 2023
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenue (Notes 1 and 11)	$ 248,975	$ 229,758
Costs and Operating Expenses:
Cost of revenue	138,013	127,712
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	70,305	58,562
Research and development expenses	3,730	3,370
Total Costs and Operating Expenses	212,048	189,644
Operating Income	36,927	40,114
Interest Income	611	299
Interest Expense	(4,669)	(2,370)
Other Expense, Net	(30)	(21)
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes	32,839	38,022
Provision for Income Taxes (Note 5)	7,854	9,763
Net Income	24,985	28,259
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	(296)	(184)
Net Income Attributable to Kadant	$ 24,689	$ 28,075
Earnings per Share Attributable to Kadant (Note 4)
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.11	$ 2.40
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.10	$ 2.40
Weighted Average Shares (Note 4)
Basic (in shares)	11,724	11,681
Diluted (in shares)	11,744	11,694