Abstract: A motorized vegetation trimmer apparatus comprising an elongate main handle to which is connected a motor that rotatably drives a trimmer head located at a distal end of the handle. The trimmer head carries one or more radially outwardly projecting cutting members which cut vegetation as the trimmer head rotates. Each cutting member comprises a finite length of flexible strand. The cutting member is releasably gripped by a one-way gripping mechanism including a reciprocating gripping member and a compression spring that biases the gripping member into gripping contact with the strand.