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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1



                         INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT


Baker Hughes Incorporated:


We consent to the incorporation by reference in Post-Effective Amendment No. 1
to Registration Statement No. 33-16094 on Form S-4, in Post-Effective Amendment
Nos. 1 and 2 to Registration Statement No. 33-14803 on Form S-8, in Registration
Statement No. 33-39445 on Form S-8, in Registration Statement No. 33-61304 on
Form S-3, in Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 33-61304 on Form S-3,
in Registration Statement No. 33-52195 on Form S-8, in Registration Statement
No. 33-57759 on Form S-8, in Registration Statement No. 33-63375 on Form S-3, in
Registration Statement No. 333-19771 on Form S-8, in Post-Effective Amendment
No. 1 on Form S-8 to Registration Statement No. 333-28123 on Form S-4, in
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 on Form S-8 to Registration Statement No.
333-29027 on Form S-4, in Registration Statement No. 333-49327 on Form S-8, in
Registration Statement No. 333-61065 on Form S-8 and in Registration Statement
No. 333-66205 on Form S-8 of our report dated December 18, 1998 (which expresses
an unqualified opinion and includes an explanatory paragraph relating to the
change in the method of accounting for postemployment benefits and for
impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of to conform with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards Nos. 112 and 121, respectively, and relating to
the Company's provision for various reserves and write-downs recorded during the
three month period ended September 30, 1998 and the recorded charge for merger
costs during the three month period ended September 30, 1998), appearing in this
Current Report on Form 8-K of Baker Hughes Incorporated.




DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP


Houston, Texas
December 21, 1998

