I used Mr. Tuffy liners when I was commuting and getting regular flats from debris on the road (seemed to happen regardless of lane position). I feathered the ends. Even so, after 4-5 years the liners would become brittle and cause flats. Overall, a flat every few years (10-20,000 miles) was better than every 1,000-2,000 miles. I never saw weight as an issue on 35lb commuting bicycles from the 60's and 70's (English 3 speeds, single speed Schwinn Racer).

Since then I bought some Marathon tires (not perfect, but much better than earlier tires).

I still have the tire liners on some bikes, but availability of tires (internet) and road surfaces seem to have improved over the last 20 years so I don't use them as much.