If MaxBlast is the usual Ontrack proggy then it is significantly slower than the likes of Ghost, Drive Image and True Image which are only limited by the storage devices and controller(s). Ontrack seems to do a file copy with verify or something that is slower than sector copying... dunno.
In any case I would strongly recommend eschewing any Windows interface except perchance to create a "rescue" floppy disk or optical disc which you may then use exclusively.
I remember trying the new fangled Windows component of Ghost years ago (after Symantec aquired Binary Research and began their usual process of mangalation) and yeah verily it was crap and I thus continued using the svelte DOS exectuable.
Relative newcomer True Image in particularly is very bloaty and runs a number of startup crap including services so even if you do keep the Windows installation (for recovery of files from images while still in Windows, for instance), disable them all as they are unneeded.
Indeed, True Image buggered me upon restoration of a boot volume image just the other day -rendering all volumes inaccessable and variably seen by a number of utilities as empty, RAW or oddly Roxio GoBack. Restoration of the MBR was no help. Thankfully, I had a recent HDD clone available and most recent personal files on DVD-RAM.