Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	Jul. 02, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of consolidation and presentation	Principles of consolidation and presentation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Snap-on Incorporated and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively, “Snap-on” or “the company”). These financial statements should be read in conjunction with, and have been prepared in conformity with, the accounting principles reflected in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Snap-on’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2016 (“2015 year end”). The company’s 2016 fiscal second quarter ended on July 2, 2016; the 2015 fiscal second quarter ended on July 4, 2015. The company’s 2016 and 2015 fiscal first and second quarters each contained 13 weeks of operating results. Snap-on accounts for investments in unconsolidated affiliates where Snap-on has a greater than 20% but less than 50% ownership interest under the equity method of accounting. Investments in unconsolidated affiliates of $15.1 million as of July 2, 2016, and $13.3 million as of January 2, 2016, are included in “Other assets” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet; no equity investment dividends were received in any period presented. In the normal course of business, the company may purchase products or services from unconsolidated affiliates; purchases from unconsolidated affiliates were $3.2 million and $3.8 million in the respective fiscal second quarters of 2016 and 2015, and $7.4 million and $7.7 million in the first six months of 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include the accounts of the company’s independent franchisees. Snap-on’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and six month periods ended July 2, 2016, and July 4, 2015, have been made. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Financial Instruments	Financial Instruments The fair value of the company’s derivative financial instruments is generally determined using quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities. The carrying value of the company’s non-derivative financial instruments either approximates fair value, due to their short-term nature, or the amount disclosed for fair value is based upon a discounted cash flow analysis or quoted market values. See Note 9 for further information on financial instruments.
New Accounting Standards	New Accounting Standards In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), to require the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable forecasts. The main objective of this ASU is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years; the ASU allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018. The company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) – Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which is intended to simplify several aspects of the accounting for stock-based compensation transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statements of cash flows. Snap-on elected to early adopt this ASU as of January 3, 2016; the ASU was initially effective for Snap-on no later than January 1, 2017. Prior to the adoption of the ASU, excess tax benefits or expense related to stock-based compensation transactions were recognized in “Additional paid-in capital” on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets; following the adoption of the ASU, all excess tax benefits or expense related to stock-based compensation transactions are recognized prospectively as income tax benefits or expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings and the excess tax benefits or expense from stock-based compensation transactions previously included in “Financing activities” on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows are prospectively included on that statement as a component of “Net earnings.” The adoption of this ASU did not have a significant impact on the company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The ASU is intended to represent an improvement over previous GAAP, which did not require lease assets and lease liabilities to be recognized for most leases. This ASU, which supersedes most current lease guidance, affects any entity that enters into a lease (as that term is defined in the ASU), with some specified scope exemptions. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; the ASU allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that all deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as long term on the balance sheet. Snap-on elected to early adopt this ASU as of April 2, 2016; the ASU was initially effective for Snap-on no later than January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, Snap-on retrospectively reclassified $109.9 million of current “Deferred income tax assets,” $45.9 million of long-term “Deferred income tax assets,” and $0.3 million of current deferred income tax liabilities (included in “Other accrued liabilities”) to long-term “Deferred income tax liabilities” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of January 2, 2016. The adoption of this ASU did not have a significant impact on the company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The ASU is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to fulfill a contract. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) – Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which clarifies the guidance in Topic 606 on assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The amendments in ASU No. 2016-12 do not change the core principles of the guidance in Topic 606. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) – Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies the identification of performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance in Topic 606. The amendments in ASU No. 2016-10 do not change the core principles of the guidance in Topic 606. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) – Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which amends the principal-versus-agent implementation guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 (Topic 606). ASU No. 2016-08 clarifies the principal-versus-agent guidance in Topic 606 and requires an entity to determine whether the nature of its promise to provide goods or services to a customer is performed in a principal or agent capacity and to recognize revenue in a gross or net manner based on its principal/agent designation. Entities may early adopt ASU No. 2014-09 (and related updates) only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. ASU No. 2014-09 (and related updates) will become effective for Snap-on at the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the standard. The company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.