are the epson eco tank printers specifically the ET 5850 compatible

Yes that Epson has utilities, drivers and support macOS.

see > https://epson.com/Support/Printers/All-In-Ones/ET-Series/Epson-ET-5850/s/SPT_C11CJ29201

Seems so, but you'll want to confirm that with Epson.

I checked the Epson website, and had some difficulty finding a supported platform list. While looking, I did find various indications of what I'd consider an inattention to details in the available product documentation. This both in the printer product manual, and in the specs.

Per the Epson specs, here are the supported computers: "Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, Windows 10 (32/64 bit), Windows 7 (32/64 bit), Windows 8 (32/64 bit), Windows 8.1 (32/64 bit), Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Vista (32/64 bit), Windows XP Professional x64 Edition SP2 or later, Windows XP SP3 or later (32-bit), Windows Server 2003 R2, spectextoptionoperatingsystemswin2003ii2 [sic], XP Professional x64 Edition"

I do see Apple AirPrint listed elsewhere in the specs, which means you can mostly avoid needing vendor drivers for (at least) printing. I do not see TWAIN scanner support listed, which can mean you will need vendor drivers to access the scanner functions. It's also an inkjet, and those can tend to be more expensive to run than a laser. I can't tell if it's host-based rendering, which would concern me, save for the availability of AirPrint.

Being dependent on vendor drivers means the printer becomes a brick when the vendor discontinues the drivers—this is why AirPrint, IPP/IPPS, and TWAIN support are interesting. And why host-based rendering can be a problem.

And a general recommendation for any printer purchase: download and read the product manual first, before buying. Make sure the manual is understandable, is complete, and documents the sorts of printing features you want and need to use, and that the specs in the manual match your expectations.

For some related reading on printers and printer selection: Which Printer Should I Buy? - Apple Community

The Epson ET 5850, when used only as a networked device, is supported by Apple's built-in AirPrint driver. This would not require Epson drivers or software in that configuration. When used as a USB-connected device, one would be dependent on Epson for driver support.

One powers on the networked ET 5850 and in the System Preferences > Printers & Scanners panel, either right-clicks on the existing device and chooses Reset printing system… or if not present, clicks the + button to add the printer. In either case, one chooses the AirPrint driver selection and [re]adds the ET 5850.