Micro-channels are also for single payments. Tipping is also recurring. You are simply biased as to their direction. Think of tipping like leaving money on the table. You have to trust that the busboy doesn't swipe it before the server. Pushing settlements forward reduces mining fees and the occasional small single tip is made up in micro-channel fees.
That doesn't make much sense...
But hey, if you feel like avoiding answering the question of what the trade-off of a bigger chain is, I can't really force you.
check out lightning payment channels and it will make sense. It allows you to have every global transaction on a 3mb isp. Tips too.. That's not big like you claim.