A smoke eater is specifically made to help remove cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, cannabis smoke, or vape smoke, which makes it different from other home air purifiers.
Ambient air cleaners are useful additions to fume extractors, but they shouldn't be used as the primary way to manage fumes. Due to the way ambient air cleaners work, fumes must first pass by a welder's breathing area before settling into the ambient unit's collection zone.
As a result, the welder is exposed to the same amount of hazardous welding fumes as if the extraction equipment were not there at all.