I've used Eclipse for about 6 years for Java development before switching jobs and switching to IntelliJ. If there is one important difference it is this: It's fast. Eclipse can take up to a second or so to generate auto completion recommendations. In IntelliJ, you hardly even notice it it is so fast. This allows the IDE to get out of your way and leave your thinking uninterrupted which is often one of the main benefits touted by vim or emacs users.
I would say try IntelliJ for a month. That will give you time to alter some of the strange default settings (like being able to put the cursor past the end of the line) and discover some of the many other powerful features (like clever renaming of getters/setters when renaming a field). But I still believe it is the speed that sets IntelliJ apart from any other IDE out there and will be the ultimate reason for your improved productivity.
I would say try IntelliJ for a month. That will give you time to alter some of the strange default settings (like being able to put the cursor past the end of the line) and discover some of the many other powerful features (like clever renaming of getters/setters when renaming a field). But I still believe it is the speed that sets IntelliJ apart from any other IDE out there and will be the ultimate reason for your improved productivity.