It's a walk in the park!

1. I was awake. They utilize a "local". The office I went too used an aerosol to disinfect the 'field'. The sensation had me laughing hysterically.  

2. A couple days of groin pain; but I was riding my motorcycle within 48 hours.

3. Not likely; but try Planned Parenthood, and don't tell them you're a hedge-fund investor.  

4. At the time 20 years ago I paid about $150.00 at the Planned Parenthood offices

 
The better stuff

1. No difference

2. No difference

3. Here's the part I like the most; it takes the danger out of being close.

1. Yes, awake.
2. No pain. They used local anesthetic. You will be sore for a couple of days, and you should stay off your feet.  
3. It was covered by insurance
4. Dunno

1. No difference at all
2. No issues at all
3. Be prepared for guys who don't know what a vasectomy is. Many will think you were castrated. I worked with guys who had college degrees, and that's what many of them actually thought.  

It got my wife off the pill, which lessened the chances of complications later for her.

I had a vasectomy and have hand no problem since and as mentioned by others my wife no longer had to use pills or IUD.
It took just a few minutes as I recall with no pain. No complications just stayed home from work one day. I can't remember if it was covered by insurance. I didn't even go back for them to test for viable sperm because as a biologist I had a microscope and specimen slides and checked myself for sperm. No difference in ejaculation or any other side effects.
Just check with your doctor or an urologist.  
They give you a local injection of anesthetic, no pain just a slight needle prick.

1- They had me knocked out completely.

2- Two or Three days of minor discomfort.  A frozen bag of peas was used for swelling.

3-  Insurance covered me but your policy may be different.  Ask them.

4 -  N/A in my case
------------

1-  Not much difference

2-  Nothing unusual other than normal aging  

3-  I did it for similar reasons as you as I had no interest in little starting over with kids at my age.  I was dating a younger and fertile woman and one time we had what was preceived as a 'close call'.  That was enough to make my mind up real fast.

I had mine on a Wednesday and spent Thursday and Friday watching games with an ice pack. Felt like I had a minor kick in the nuts for a few days. Just felt a little uncomfortable. By the following Saturday, 9 days later, I ran a half marathon with no pain or discomfort.

Local  
Mentioned above
Mine was

No real difference. Seems more runny than before. Of course I'm not an adult star so who cares.

awake and watching
nominal swelling for a couple of days, no pain
nope
don't remember

nope
nope
freedom!!!!

Fun model now

I went for the newer type were a hole is poked and the vas is pulled out and then snipped. The pain is a lot less. Ditto for recovery. Insurance covered it. I was awake and drove myself home since I skipped the sedative to relax me. I was testing it a few days later and was glad I did it. It was better because I knew I didn't have to worry about getting anyone pregnant. I was just sorry that I didn't do it years ago. The best was when a girlfriend told me she was pregnant years later. She couldn't understand why I was laughing.

Highly recommended.  Did mine twenty years ago.  After all, even with a cover, accidents happen.   Also - you don't get to enter the stripper retirement sweepstakes that an acquaintance of mine got to enter.  It will end up costing him about a million dollars by the time he gets done with it... about 15 years from now....  Nice way to deal with those pesky paternity claims....

All that aside, being able to BB the wife was a nice change.

1.  Awake

2. Can't remember any pain.  Doesn't mean there wasn't any.  They got pain pills for that.

3. Don't think it was covered by insurance - but it wasnt really expensive either.

4. Can't remember specifics - but it was twenty years ago.  In comparison to your hobbying budget - probably trivial.  You might want to get quotes on it from a couple of different docs.

1. None - but it's not something I tracked.  Prostate is really where that's from.... I have been given an involuntary education in urology lately.... the tuition sux and I ain't had the final yet.

2. None - but I was in my early thirties and could probably hammer nails with it before and after...

3. The operation was not painful - but I do remember some sensations (which included some tugging   ick...).

...hospitalized for the procedure (SAG insurance).  This was in the days before TMZ et al. and social media so it was very hush-hush.  He was notorious for fighting with the studio brass.  After the procedure, he went on a talk show and without saying what was done, said: "They took the part they cut from me, planted it, and when it gets to be six feet tall, they'll make a studio executive out of it."

For those of us in the know, it was the funniest thing we ever heard.

Tim "the tool man" Taylor (Tim Allen) described it in his book as...

"Like getting two swift kicks in the nuts." (as far as pain goes...)
Although he also went on to state in the chapter, he has never once regretted it.
That is one funny guy, and I could not resist his book when I saw it at a thrift store.
The chapter on his snipping was... enlightening and that one liner, unforgettable.

 
Hope it goes well if you do go through with it!
Wishing you well,  
Foxy

To answer your questions:

1.put me under
2.felt like I had been kicked in the nuts aching for 3 days which subsided by day 4.
3.my insurance covered it

Fun stuff

1 No difference
2. No difference
3. Slight itch in my balls which most of the time I don't notice.  Asked dr. About it, he said it was normal.